Municipal Clerk Training and Education Requirements

<h2 id="section---WhatIsAMunicipalClerk">What Is a Municipal Clerk?</h2> <p>Municipal clerks work for local government offices, such as the city council, and their duties depend on where they work. They maintain government records and are also responsible for recording and distributing the minutes of city or town council meetings. They are often called upon to provide responses to information requests from the public, as well as government officials. </p> <p>More details on this career are highlighted in the table below. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td><b>Training Requirements</b> </td><td> On-the-job training</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Key Responsibilities</b></td><td> Maintain administrative records for cities and local governments; answer inquiries from the public; assist in election preparations</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Job Growth (2020-2030)</b></td><td> 6% (<i>for all court, municipal and license clerks</i>)*</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Median Salary (2020)</b></td><td> $40,930 (<i>for all court, municipal and license clerks</i>)*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---WhatTrainingDoINeedToBecomeAMunicipalClerk">What Training Do I Need to Become a Municipal Clerk?</h3> <p>Once you're hired as a municipal clerk, most offices provide you with specialized training pursuant to that environment. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that you could work for the courts, the city council or a licensing office. Even though these are usually entry-level positions, you may need a combination of experience and formal education in order to perform your job. </p> <p>If you're a court clerk, for example, your duties include handling case dockets as well as interacting with judges, lawyers and witnesses. In a city council office, you attend meetings, record minutes and maintain fiscal records. While working in a licensing office, your responsibilities include maintaining records as well as assisting the public with motor vehicle titles and other types of permits. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatSkillsAndExperienceDoINeed">What Skills and Experience Do I Need?</h3> <p>Clerks need to perform a variety of duties to ensure that an office runs efficiently and effectively. You interact with standard office equipment such as computers, fax machines and copiers. You also need to possess strong communication skills. Other skills you should possess include the ability to negotiate, take risks and resolve problems. In some cases, prior experience as a supervisor is necessary. </p> <p>In addition to management experience, you may need a working knowledge of election practices, according to a February 2017 search for municipal court clerk positions. You would also need experience with city, state and federal laws. </p> <p>If you already have a minimum of five years' experience, you may be qualified for deputy assistant clerk positions. Record-keeping experience and knowledge of finances are key for this role. </p> <h3 id="section---DoINeedADegree">Do I Need a Degree?</h3> <p>Even though you may only need a high school diploma to become an information clerk, the BLS states that you usually need a degree to advance professionally. February 2017 job postings for municipal and deputy clerks indicated that you would need an associate's or bachelor's degree in public administration, business administration, political science or a similar field. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatAreSomeRelatedAlternativeCareers">What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?</h3> <p>Though you may qualify to become a financial clerk with a high school diploma and some on-the-job training, depending on the nature of the job, some employers may require hires to have some postsecondary training in economics or business or even a 2- or 4-year degree. Financial clerks are responsible for maintaining and updating the financial records of an organization, assisting in carrying out financial transactions, computing bills and providing customer assistance. Types of financial clerks include brokerage clerks, payroll and timekeeping clerks, procurement clerks, new account clerks and insurance claims and policy processing clerks.</p>