File Clerk Salary in Baltimore, MD
File Clerks in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area earn a median $43,490 a year — 0% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $35,422 take-home, or $2,952 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median file clerk salary in Baltimore, MD. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$3,039
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,696
- Medicare (1.45%)$631
- Maryland income tax$1,702
- Take-home pay$35,422
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.75% state
File Clerk pay by experience in Baltimore, MD
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $36,030 | $17.32 | $29,782 | $2,482 |
| 25th percentile | $36,060 | $17.34 | $29,805 | $2,484 |
| Median (50th) | $43,490 | $20.91 | $35,422 | $2,952 |
| 75th percentile | $51,990 | $25.00 | $41,848 | $3,487 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $60,530 | $29.10 | $48,304 | $4,025 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Maryland resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $43,490 buys in Baltimore, MD
Prices in Baltimore, MD are 4.5% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.18× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median file clerk's $35,422 take-home pay has the buying power of $33,901 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
File Clerk jobs are less concentrated in Baltimore, MD than nationally (location quotient 0.73), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for file clerks, adjusted for cost of living
Baltimore, MD ranks #27 of 31 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL | $58,320 | $46,298 | $44,691 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $60,840 | $48,574 | $43,989 |
| 3 | Nashville, TN | $46,990 | $39,936 | $41,455 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $46,400 | $39,462 | $40,241 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $52,280 | $40,442 | $38,362 |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | $54,910 | $44,242 | $38,268 |
| 7 | Atlanta, GA | $46,700 | $37,903 | $37,881 |
| 8 | Riverside, CA | $49,180 | $40,057 | $37,632 |
| 27 | Baltimore, MD | $43,490 | $35,422 | $33,901 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 31 metros →
Frequently asked questions
How much does a file clerk make in Baltimore, MD?
The median file clerk salary in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area is $43,490 a year, or about $20.91 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $36,060 and $51,990.
What is a file clerk’s take-home pay in Baltimore, MD?
On the median $43,490 salary, a single filer living in Maryland takes home about $35,422 a year ($2,952 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,702 in Maryland taxes in 2026.
Is Baltimore, MD a good place to work as a file clerk?
Pay here is 0% below the national median of $43,600. Local prices are 4.5% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $33,901 would in a typical U.S. city. Baltimore, MD ranks #27 of 31 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a file clerk afford rent in Baltimore, MD?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Baltimore, MD is $1,511 a month ($1,857 for two bedrooms) — 51% of a median file clerk’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Baltimore, MD
- Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant — $78,380
- First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers — $75,590
- Postal Service Clerk — $62,610
- Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant — $62,330
- Postal Service Mail Carrier — $62,070
- Public Safety Telecommunicator — $61,080
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk — $60,330
- Loan Interviewer and Clerk — $59,930
- Court, Municipal, and License Clerks — $58,670
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators — $58,470
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping — $57,530
- Information and Record Clerks, All Other — $57,310