File Clerk Salary in New York, NY
File Clerks in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area earn a median $44,710 a year — 3% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $36,287 take-home, or $3,024 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median file clerk salary in New York, NY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$3,185
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,772
- Medicare (1.45%)$648
- New York income tax$1,817
- Take-home pay$36,287
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 5.40% state
Living in New York City? City residents also pay New York City’s city income tax — about $1,306 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $34,982 ($2,915 a month). Choose “New York City” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro spans New York, New Jersey. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
File Clerk pay by experience in New York, NY
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $34,610 | $16.64 | $28,717 | $2,393 |
| 25th percentile | $38,980 | $18.74 | $31,993 | $2,666 |
| Median (50th) | $44,710 | $21.50 | $36,287 | $3,024 |
| 75th percentile | $52,840 | $25.40 | $42,381 | $3,532 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $63,190 | $30.38 | $50,138 | $4,178 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, New York resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $44,710 buys in New York, NY
Prices in New York, NY are 12.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.49× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median file clerk's $36,287 take-home pay has the buying power of $32,237 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 New York, NY than nationally (location quotient 0.73), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for file clerks, adjusted for cost of living
New York, NY ranks #5 of 5 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 | Houston, TX | $41,400 | $35,445 | $35,938 |
| 3 | Dallas, TX | $42,850 | $36,610 | $35,513 |
| 4 | Los Angeles, CA | $48,450 | $39,523 | $34,802 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $44,710 | $36,287 | $32,237 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 5 metros →
About the job: file clerks
File correspondence, cards, invoices, receipts, and other records in alphabetical or numerical order or according to the filing system used. Locate and remove material from file when requested.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- -15.8% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a file clerk make in New York, NY?
The median file clerk salary in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area is $44,710 a year, or about $21.50 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $38,980 and $52,840.
What is a file clerk’s take-home pay in New York, NY?
On the median $44,710 salary, a single filer living in New York takes home about $36,287 a year ($3,024 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,817 in New York taxes in 2026.
Is New York, NY a good place to work as a file clerk?
Pay here is 3% above the national median of $43,600. Local prices are 12.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $32,237 would in a typical U.S. city. New York, NY ranks #5 of 5 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a file clerk afford rent in New York, NY?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in New York, NY is $2,378 a month ($2,697 for two bedrooms) — 79% of a median file clerk’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
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