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$38,000 USD is the average salary for a Records Clerk in Lansing, MI, drawing on public-sector, legal, and healthcare employer data across the greater Lansing area. This page covers the full pay spectrum from entry-level file clerk roles to senior records management positions, who earns what and why, and how to close the gap if you are below market. Ranges vary by sector (government vs. healthcare vs. legal), employer size, years of experience, and whether the role carries specialized compliance or electronic records responsibilities.
Pay jumps most sharply when you add electronic records system proficiency or move into a compliance-focused role in government, healthcare, or legal services.
$28,000 - $34,000 USD
Roles at this level involve physical and digital filing, basic data entry, and responding to records requests under supervision at courts, clinics, or government offices.
$34,000 - $42,000 USD
Clerks at this tier handle retention schedules, FOIA or HIPAA compliance tasks, and often serve as the primary contact for external records requests in their department.
$42,000 - $50,000 USD
Senior clerks oversee retention compliance, train junior staff, and may manage vendor relationships for scanning or off-site storage in mid-size public or private employers.
$50,000 - $56,000 USD
This tier manages department-wide or organization-wide records programs, sets retention policy, and interfaces with legal counsel, IT, and compliance teams across Lansing-area institutions.
Most Records Clerks plateau when they stay in a single employer's step-pay grid without adding recognized credentials or digital records skills. Sector-switching - especially from private office work into government or healthcare - is often the fastest path to a meaningful raise without changing job function.
Most Records Clerk resumes undersell compliance work, system proficiency, and records volume handled - the exact details that push offers toward $45K and above in Lansing. Optimize your resume now to match how public-sector and healthcare hiring managers actually screen applicants.
Higher-paying candidates typically show:
State capital status means a dense concentration of government agency postings; the State of Michigan and Ingham County are anchor employers with published civil-service pay bands.
Larger metro, more legal and healthcare employers, and Wayne County government roles push the ceiling modestly higher than Lansing.
Strong healthcare employer base (Spectrum Health, Corewell) supports mid-range pay; slightly below Detroit but comparable to Lansing for most experience tiers.
University of Michigan Health and legal services employers anchor the upper range; cost of living is higher but so are base pay expectations.
Genesee County and McLaren Flint drive demand, but the local employer base is thinner and the ceiling is lower than Lansing for senior roles.
Mix of healthcare (Bronson, Ascension) and local government roles; pay is consistent with the statewide average for Michigan outside the major metros.
Public-sector Records Clerks in Lansing often receive defined-benefit pension contributions, fully paid health insurance, and paid leave that add $8,000-$15,000 in annual total compensation on top of base. Always compare total comp, not base salary alone, when evaluating government vs. private offers.
Many Ingham County and City of Lansing administrative positions include longevity bonuses after three, five, and ten years of service, ranging from $500 to $2,500 annually. Overtime is more common in court-record and police-record roles with filing deadlines tied to court schedules.
Records Clerks who handle protected health information under HIPAA or public records requests under Michigan FOIA carry higher liability and typically land in the upper half of the pay band. Listing specific compliance exposure on your resume and documenting error-free audits can support a reclassification or step increase.
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Answers to the most common questions about Records Clerk compensation in Lansing, MI, US.
Records Clerks in Lansing, MI typically earn between $28,000 and $56,000 USD per year depending on experience and sector. The average across all experience levels is approximately $38,000 USD. Government and healthcare employers in Lansing tend to pay above the private-sector average for the same role.
Entry-level Records Clerks in Michigan typically start between $28,000 and $34,000 USD annually. State of Michigan and county civil service postings often list a specific starting step, which may be negotiable based on directly related experience or credentials.
Yes, in most cases. Public-sector Records Clerk positions with the City of Lansing, Ingham County, or State of Michigan agencies generally include formal step-pay scales, defined-benefit pensions, and comprehensive health benefits that substantially increase total compensation above comparable private-sector roles. Base salaries are often in the $34,000-$50,000 range for civil service positions.
Medical Records Clerks in Michigan average around $33,000-$51,000 USD depending on the source and experience level, with SalaryExpert citing an average of $51,367 for Michigan healthcare settings. Lansing employers such as Sparrow Health System and McLaren Greater Lansing are major local healthcare hirers for records roles.
The clearest path is earning a Certified Records Manager (CRM) designation through the Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM) or an ARMA International Information Governance Professional credential, combined with demonstrated experience managing retention schedules and compliance audits. Internal transfers within large government agencies or health systems are common stepping stones.
Proficiency in electronic document management systems (Laserfiche, OpenText, SharePoint) and sector-specific platforms like EPIC or Cerner for healthcare are the highest-impact technical skills. Compliance expertise in HIPAA or Michigan FOIA, combined with a formal records management credential, consistently places candidates in the upper half of the pay band.
Lansing's state-capital economy offers an unusually high concentration of stable government and healthcare employer demand for records roles. Public-sector positions include pension, healthcare, and longevity benefits that add significant total compensation. Career progression to Records Supervisor, Records Manager, or Information Governance roles is achievable with the right credentials and sector experience.
Explore comparable administrative and clerical roles in Lansing and nearby markets to benchmark your earning potential.
| Job title | Entry Level | Mid-Career | Senior | Lead / AP Specialist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounts Payable Clerk | $34,000 - $40,000 USD | $40,000 - $50,000 USD | $50,000 - $57,000 USD | $57,000 - $62,000 USD |
| Executive Assistant | $44,000 - $57,000 USD | $57,000 - $75,000 USD | $75,000 - $95,000 USD | $95,000 - $120,000 USD |
| Office Administrator | $34,000 - $42,000 USD | $42,000 - $56,000 USD | $56,000 - $70,000 USD | $70,000 - $85,000 USD |
| Data Entry Clerk | $35K - $41K CAD | $41K - $47K CAD | $47K - $54K CAD | $54K - $60K CAD |
| Operations Coordinator | $38,000 - $46,000 USD | $46,000 - $60,000 USD | $60,000 - $72,000 USD | $72,000 - $78,000 USD |
| HR Assistant | $36K - $44K USD | $44K - $54K USD | $54K - $62K USD | $62K - $68K USD |
| Medical Office Assistant | $36K - $43K CAD | $43K - $52K CAD | $52K - $60K CAD | $60K - $67K CAD |
Strengthen your Records Clerk career with guides on salary negotiation, resume optimization, and interview preparation.
Learn evidence-based negotiation strategies to close the salary gap and secure compensation aligned with market rates for your Records Clerk role.
Read article →Understand when and how to handle salary discussions during job interviews to protect your negotiating position and ensure fair compensation.
Read article →Optimize your Records Clerk resume with relevant compliance, records management, and industry-specific keywords to pass ATS screening and catch hiring manager attention.
Read article →Salary ranges on this page were constructed by cross-referencing multiple public aggregate compensation databases covering US Records Clerk, File Clerk, Medical Records Clerk, and Police Records Clerk roles, filtered and adjusted for Michigan and Lansing-area market conditions. Michigan-specific data points were weighted more heavily where available.
These represent representative perspectives drawn from public forums and employer review platforms. Sentiments reflect posts and reviews from 2024-2025.
“State of Michigan clerk jobs have solid pay once you hit the 5-year longevity bump - benefits alone are worth the lower starting base”
This reflects a common tradeoff in Lansing's public-sector clerk market: government base pay starts modest but total comp climbs significantly with tenure due to step increases and benefits.
“Pay is on the lower end but the pension and job security make it worth staying long-term”
Indicates that retention in Ingham County records roles is driven more by benefits stability than by base salary competitiveness - a pattern common across Michigan government employers.
“Medical records is a solid entry point into healthcare admin - they do promote from within if you learn the EHR systems”
Points to healthcare records roles as a genuine career ladder in Lansing, with EHR platform fluency being the key differentiator for advancement and pay increases.
“Legal records clerks in Michigan mid-size firms top out around $40K unless you get a paralegal cert - then the ceiling moves”
Confirms that the legal sector in Michigan has a relatively low ceiling for uncredentialed records roles, and that a paralegal certificate is the most direct lever for breaking through it.
“Union representation means you know exactly what the pay schedule is - no surprises and no lowball offers”
Highlights that union-covered City of Lansing administrative positions offer pay transparency that gives candidates a stronger negotiating baseline compared to private employers.
State of Michigan · Ingham County · City of Lansing · Sparrow Health System · McLaren Greater Lansing · Michigan State University · Lansing Community College · Ingham County Circuit Court · Michigan Department of Health and Human Services · Capital Area District Libraries
ZipRecruiter - Records Clerk Salary, United States (January 2026) ZipRecruiter Records Clerk Salary
ZipRecruiter - Police Records Clerk Jobs in Michigan, average salary data (April 2026) ZipRecruiter Police Records Clerk Michigan
SalaryExpert (ERI) - Records Clerk Salary, United States (2026) SalaryExpert Records Clerk
SalaryExpert (ERI) - Document Control Clerk Salary, Michigan (2025) SalaryExpert Document Control Clerk Michigan
Salary.com - Medical Records Clerk Salary, United States (February 2026) Salary.com Medical Records Clerk
Zippia - Records Clerk and Police Records Clerk Salary Data (2025) Zippia Records Clerk Salary