In addition to appearing on the film's soundtrack, the song was the centerpiece and opening track of Parton's album 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs, released in late 1980.

Parton received an additional Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special Grammy nomination for the 9 to 5 soundtrack alongside composer Charles Fox.

The song was accompanied by a music video that featured footage of Parton and her band performing, intercut with scenes from the film.

A few months before Parton's song and the film, Scottish singer Sheena Easton released a single called "9 to 5" in the UK.

Parton has stated in numerous interviews that when she wrote the song, she devised the clacking typewriter rhythm by running her acrylic fingernails back and forth against one another.

Songwriters Neil and Jan Goldberg filed a lawsuit against Parton, claiming that "9 to 5" was a copy of their 1976 song "Money World".

"[16] The song was sung from the public gallery of the New Zealand Parliament by supporters of Green Party MP Jan Logie at the conclusion of her veladictory address, and is thus recorded in Hansard.

[18] The song appeared in the opening scenes of the films The Love Guru performed by Mike Myers on the sitar as his character Guru Pitka and Deadpool 2 with Deadpool himself (Ryan Reynolds) using it in a sequence where he kills a series of people in his mercenary job, even starting the music by declaring "hit it, Dolly" immediately before.

It was also featured in The Orville episode "Sanctuary", in which the song was chosen by Haveena (Rena Owen), the leader of female fugitives as an anthem of their attempted revolution.