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Permit Clerk Salary in the United States

How much does a Permit Clerk make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Permit Clerk in the United States is $34,147 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $16.

However, a Permit Clerk's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $39,461
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $31,595 to $36,928
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $29,272
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Permit Clerk Salaries

A Permit Clerk's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Permit Clerk Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Permit Clerk's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $33,899
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $34,324
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $35,312
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $35,447
  • Expert (over 8 years): $35,671
Levels Salary
Entry Level Permit Clerk$33,899
Intermediate Level Permit Clerk$34,324
Senior Level Permit Clerk$35,312
Specialist Level Permit Clerk$35,447
Expert Level Permit Clerk$35,671
View as Graph

How Do Permit Clerk Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Permit Clerks. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $37,807.
  • California: $37,664.
  • Massachusetts: $37,162.

Top Paying Cities for Permit Clerks

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $43,069
  • San Francisco: $42,598
  • Oakland: $41,700

What Skills Can Increase a Permit Clerk's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 5.02% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • Laundry Services (Mentioned in 1.83% Job Postings): Sorting, washing, drying, pressing and folding clothing and other textile items, Familiarity with cleaning detergents and laundering equipment.
  • Long Term Care (Mentioned in 0.56% Job Postings): Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods. Long term care is focused on individualized and coordinated services that promote independence, maximize patients' quality of life, and meet patients' needs over a period of time. It is common for long-term care to provide custodial and non-skilled care, such as assisting with normal daily tasks like dressing, feeding, using the bathroom. Increasingly, long-term care involves providing a level of medical care that requires the expertise of skilled practitioners to address the multiple chronic conditions associated with older populations. Long-term care can be provided at home, in the community, in assisted living facilities or in nursing homes. Long-term care may be needed by people of any age, although it is a more common need for senior citizens.
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 5.02%
Laundry Services 1.83%
Long Term Care 0.56%
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What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Permit Clerk's salary.

  • Flexibility: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Teamwork: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Customer Service: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Flexibility $37,903
11%
Teamwork $36,196
6%
Customer Service $35,854
5%
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Permit Clerk Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Permit Clerk roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Hospitality & Leisure, offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely, Permit Clerk positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Permit Clerk as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Permit Clerk

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Hospitality & Leisure$40,976$20.020%

How Education impacts a Permit Clerk's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Permit Clerks enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Permit Clerk with a No Diploma is between $31,072 and $33,389).

Permit Clerk Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Permit Clerk
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 100.0%
High School 100.0%
Associates 0.0%
Bachelors 0.0%
Masters 0.0%
Doctorate 0.0%
View as Graph

Permit Clerk Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Permit Clerk's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$31,595
Average $34,147/year
$36,928
$2,633
Average $2,846/month
$3,077
$608
Average $657/week
$710
$15
Average $16/hour
$18
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $36,928 $3,077 $710 $18
Average $34,147 $2,846 $657 $16
25th Percentile $31,595 $2,633 $608 $15

Most common benefits for Permit Clerk

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Permit Clerk

Here are companies hiring for Permit Clerk and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Permit Clerk

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Permit Clerk?

The Hospitality & Leisure industry offers the highest average compensation for Permit Clerk roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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