File Clerks Salary
File Clerks in West Virginia make a median of $31,600 a year, or about $15.19 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.03), which stretches that salary to about $35,494 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,008/month, about 46.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across West Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $32K get you in West Virginia?
About file clerks
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What this looks like in West Virginia
Pay for file clerks in West Virginia runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $44K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,008/month, which is 45.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.03 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for file clerkss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, West Virginia
Entry-level file clerks (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $32K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
File Clerks salary by metro in West Virginia
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | $39K | +22% | 70 |
| Huntington-Ashland | $35K | +11% | 40 |
Compare to other states
Track file clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when West Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a file clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in West Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $32K, rent takes 45.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,008/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for file clerks in West Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new file clerks typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,580/month. At HUD’s $1,008/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is file clerk a high-paying job in West Virginia?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $32K here vs. $44K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does West Virginia compare to the national average for file clerks?
West Virginia pays $32K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.03), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — below the national median.
How much do file clerks make in West Virginia?
The median is $31,600 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,340, and experienced file clerks can clear $47,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $32K enough to live in West Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,207/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,008/month, which eats 45.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a file clerks salary go in West Virginia?
West Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 89.03 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median file clerks salary is worth about $35,494 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do file clerks get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.