What is the salary and career path for a document control specialist?
Document control specialists are reported under Office Clerks, General (SOC 43-9061), a broad BLS match — no dedicated code exists for the specialty. The OEWS May 2025 median for that code is $45,010 a year ($21.64 an hour), running from $30,310 at the 10th percentile to $64,680 at the 90th, and document controllers in engineering, construction and manufacturing typically sit in the upper half. BLS projects the general clerk code to decline 6.7% over 2024–2034 as software absorbs routine clerical work, though its enormous size still produces about 282,400 openings a year. A high school diploma plus records and software skills is the usual entry, with document-management systems experience separating the specialty from general clerical work.
- Document Control Specialists are reported under SOC 43-9061 with a $45,010 median (BLS OEWS May 2025); the top 10% clear $64,680.
- The role controls document revisions, approvals and retention, entered with a high school diploma plus records and EDMS skills.
- BLS projects the broad clerk code to decline 6.7% through 2034, though its size still yields ~282,400 openings a year.
- Specializing in document-management systems and regulated-industry document control makes the role more durable and lifts pay.
Career Path
How do you become a document control specialist?
Document control clerk
Logging, filing and scanning controlled documents sits near the $30,310 10th percentile.
Document Control Specialist
Managing revisions, approvals and document systems earns the $45,010 median for SOC 43-9061.
Senior document controller
Running document control on large projects reaches the $54,300 75th percentile.
Document control lead / manager
Leading document control across an organization sits at the $64,680 90th percentile and into supervisory codes.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays document control specialists the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 43-9061. National median: $45,010. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does document control specialist pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles document control specialists most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: document control specialists rank 1 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected −6.7% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly document control specialists clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 43-9061 (document control specialists) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do document control specialists need?
The typical minimum; an associate degree or technical coursework can help. See all state licences →
The Institute of Certified Records Managers' credential for records and information governance.
Quality-system training covering controlled documents, revisions and audits.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do document control specialists use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 43-9061
Salary Levers
How do document control specialists earn above the $45,010 BLS median?
Master an EDMS and revision control
Owning document systems and revision workflows moves pay from the $30,310 floor toward the $45,010 median.
Work large engineering or construction projects
Controlling documents on major capital projects pushes pay toward the $54,300 75th percentile.
Lead a document-control function
Running document control across an organization reaches the $64,680 top decile and into supervisory codes.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a document control specialist worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 43-9061. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Document Control Specialist Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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