SOC 4131 Administrative occupations

Records clerks and assistants Salary

Median salary £26,312 per year (2025). Based on ONS ASHE data.

Gross pay, before deductions. See take-home pay on £26,000 after tax and National Insurance →

For records clerks and assistants, £28,656 is the typical (median) pay. That is well below the UK full-time median of £39,039 — -27% versus the national average. Experienced records clerks and assistants (top 25%) earn over £31,529.

About this role

Records clerks and assistants create, organise, maintain and retrieve records and filing systems for organisations. They manage both physical and electronic document management, ensuring records are accessible, secure and compliant with retention policies.

Key responsibilities

Filing, organising and retrieving records and documents
Maintaining document management systems and databases
Ensuring compliance with records retention and disposal schedules
Processing incoming and outgoing mail and documents
Supporting information requests and subject access requests

Qualifications and entry routes

No specific qualifications required. Knowledge of records management principles and data protection legislation is valued. IRMS (Information and Records Management Society) qualifications provide professional development.

Career outlook

Digital transformation is shifting records management towards electronic document management. GDPR compliance requirements maintain demand for records management skills.

Key skills

Document management Attention to detail IT systems Data protection awareness Organisation

Common industries

NHS
Legal firms
Local government
Financial services
All large organisations

Data coverage

SOC code 4131

Data source ONS ASHE

Years available 2015–2025

Estimated jobs 139,000

Median Salary

£26,312

Mean Salary

£26,219

Jobs (000s)

139k

Data Years

11 years

Salary Range (2025)

P10: £14kP25: £20kMedian: £26kP75: £32kP90: £38k

Estimated Career Progression

Based on salary percentile distribution for this occupation

Entry Level

£13,835

0-2 years

Mid Level

£19,885

3-7 years

Senior

£31,529

8-15 years

Leadership

£37,749

15+ years

Potential career growth: +173% from entry to leadership

Salary Trend (2015-2025)

Adjust for inflation

Nominal growth: +43.8%Real growth: +4.2%

Gender Pay Comparison (2025)

Gender pay gap: 12.7%

Full-time vs All Employees (2025)

All Employees

£26,312

Full-time Only

£28,656

Full-time premium: +£2,344

Records clerks and assistants salary: common questions

How much do records clerks and assistants earn in the UK?

Records clerks and assistants earn a median of £28,656 a year (ONS ASHE 2025). The middle half earn between £19,885 and £31,529.

Is £28,656 a good salary in the UK?

What is the starting salary for records clerks and assistants?

Entry-level records clerks and assistants typically start near the lower end of the range. The bottom 25% earn up to £19,885, and the lowest-paid 10% earn under £13,835.

How much do the highest-paid records clerks and assistants earn?

The best-paid 10% of records clerks and assistants earn over £37,749 a year, and the top 25% over £31,529 (ONS ASHE 2025).

Have records clerks and assistants salaries kept up with inflation?

Since 2015, median records clerks and assistants pay has risen from £20,637 to £28,656 — +39% in cash terms, or +1.0% after CPIH inflation. That is roughly in line with inflation over the period.

Is there a gender pay gap for records clerks and assistants?

Male records clerks and assistants earn a median £29,173 and female records clerks and assistants £25,474 — a gap of +13% in 2025.

Figures: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, gross annual pay. UK full-time median £39,039 (2025).