Best Cities for File Clerkss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where file clerkss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	IowaState	1.20	$46,560	$52,197	25%
2	IllinoisState	1.18	$49,920	$51,253	32%
3	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.16	$60,840	$50,616	62%
4	OregonState	1.13	$50,660	$49,184	38%
5	WisconsinState	1.12	$45,130	$48,895	29%
6	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.12	$46,990	$48,846	40%
7	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.11	$46,700	$48,244	41%
8	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.11	$44,740	$48,211	34%
9	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.11	$52,280	$48,497	41%
10	AlaskaState	1.10	$49,910	$47,852	33%
11	Columbus, OHMetro	1.10	$44,730	$47,840	35%
12	IdahoState	1.09	$45,910	$47,575	31%
13	MichiganState	1.09	$43,950	$47,616	31%
14	MinnesotaState	1.09	$46,640	$47,592	33%
15	TennesseeState	1.08	$43,010	$47,005	35%
16	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.08	$42,990	$47,138	34%
17	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.08	$46,650	$46,884	38%
18	KansasState	1.07	$42,130	$46,811	29%
19	HawaiiState	1.06	$50,630	$46,027	57%
20	North DakotaState	1.06	$42,860	$46,285	27%
21	VermontState	1.06	$47,540	$46,380	36%
22	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.06	$42,920	$46,400	33%
23	North CarolinaState	1.05	$43,260	$45,826	36%
24	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.04	$43,250	$45,146	42%
25	OhioState	1.03	$40,650	$44,967	31%
26	ArkansasState	1.02	$38,470	$44,577	27%
27	CaliforniaState	1.02	$49,040	$44,300	55%
28	KentuckyState	1.02	$39,250	$44,350	29%
29	MassachusettsState	1.02	$48,310	$44,525	56%
30	NebraskaState	1.02	$40,640	$44,415	31%
31	OklahomaState	1.02	$39,170	$44,260	30%
32	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.02	$50,680	$44,652	60%
33	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.02	$45,980	$44,425	42%
34	AlabamaState	1.01	$38,290	$43,961	30%
35	ColoradoState	1.01	$46,490	$44,108	48%
36	GeorgiaState	1.01	$41,000	$43,897	41%
37	IndianaState	1.01	$39,740	$43,912	32%
38	MaineState	1.01	$43,910	$43,998	35%
39	NevadaState	1.01	$44,150	$44,062	39%
40	PennsylvaniaState	1.01	$42,920	$44,247	36%
41	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.01	$42,850	$44,084	44%
42	ArizonaState	0.99	$43,690	$43,300	41%
43	MissouriState	0.99	$38,400	$43,341	32%
44	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.99	$39,520	$42,957	40%
45	South CarolinaState	0.98	$39,350	$42,772	38%
46	WashingtonState	0.98	$45,830	$42,712	50%
47	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.97	$45,760	$42,175	53%
48	ConnecticutState	0.96	$44,810	$41,645	42%
49	New HampshireState	0.96	$44,390	$41,877	43%
50	TexasState	0.95	$39,480	$41,297	42%
51	UtahState	0.95	$41,450	$41,367	43%
52	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.95	$48,450	$41,588	56%
53	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.95	$40,770	$41,391	51%
54	FloridaState	0.94	$41,750	$41,133	49%
55	MarylandState	0.94	$44,920	$41,136	45%
56	New JerseyState	0.94	$44,400	$40,809	49%
57	New MexicoState	0.94	$37,700	$40,978	33%
58	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.94	$43,490	$41,106	46%
59	South DakotaState	0.93	$36,640	$40,352	31%
60	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.92	$45,910	$40,166	57%
61	DelawareState	0.91	$39,940	$39,545	41%
62	MontanaState	0.91	$38,370	$39,803	35%
63	New YorkState	0.90	$44,340	$39,413	50%
64	VirginiaState	0.88	$39,900	$38,551	47%
65	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.88	$43,270	$38,360	55%
66	West VirginiaState	0.86	$31,600	$37,530	32%
67	MississippiState	0.85	$31,260	$36,863	34%
68	Rhode IslandState	0.83	$36,400	$36,219	50%
69	LouisianaState	0.82	$32,200	$35,738	39%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).