Administrative assistant vs clerk's assistant/administrative assistant

The differences between administrative assistants and clerks's assistant/administrative assistant can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an administrative assistant and a clerk's assistant/administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant has an average salary of $34,945, which is higher than the $33,551 average annual salary of a clerk's assistant/administrative assistant.

The top three skills for an administrative assistant include customer service, data entry and powerpoint. The most important skills for a clerk's assistant/administrative assistant are data entry, customer service, and telephone calls.

Administrative assistant vs clerk's assistant/administrative assistant overview

	Administrative Assistant	Clerk's Assistant/Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary	$34,945	$33,551
Hourly rate	$16.80	$16.13
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	65,769	54,831
Job satisfaction	4.14	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	2	2

What does an administrative assistant do?

Administrative assistants, or admin assistants, do general clerical and administrative activities. Their duties involve organizing and maintaining files and records, preparing documents, scheduling meetings and appointments, and providing general support in the office. Administrative assistants handle incoming and outgoing official correspondences, take minutes of important meetings and manage calls to the main office number. They also assist executives in providing structure to their day by managing their schedule, drafting e-mails, and other activities that executives may need assistance in. Administrative assistants should have the following skills: organizing, business writing, decision-making, and communication.

What does a clerk's assistant/administrative assistant do?

A clerk's assistant/administrative assistant is responsible for supporting the company's operations and customers' needs by performing administrative and clerical duties as needed. Clerk's assistants/administrative assistants respond to customers' inquiries and concerns, acknowledging and processing orders, and posting their payments. They also sort company documents, manage office supply inventory, submit business transaction reports, schedule appointments, and operate office equipment. A clerk's assistant/administrative assistant must be very organized. They must also have excellent time-management and multitasking skills to perform office duties with high accuracy and efficiency under minimal supervision.

Administrative assistant vs clerk's assistant/administrative assistant salary

Administrative assistants and clerks's assistant/administrative assistant have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Administrative Assistant	Clerk's Assistant/Administrative Assistant
Average salary	$34,945	$33,551
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $46,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Simi Valley, CA
Highest paying state	California	Hawaii
Best paying company	Westfield State University	ADM
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between administrative assistant and clerk's assistant/administrative assistant education

There are a few differences between an administrative assistant and a clerk's assistant/administrative assistant in terms of educational background:

	Administrative Assistant	Clerk's Assistant/Administrative Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Administrative assistant vs clerk's assistant/administrative assistant demographics

Here are the differences between administrative assistants' and clerks's assistant/administrative assistant' demographics:

	Administrative Assistant	Clerk's Assistant/Administrative Assistant
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%	Male, 13.4% Female, 86.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between administrative assistant and clerk's assistant/administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Manage time and attendance using Kronos software for entire department.
Participate in national projects, manage new customer conversions to MCI from other carriers.
Manage FEDEX delivery requirements ensuring compliance with company policy.
Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
Manage company finances using QuickBooks software, including monitoring the operating budget and collecting on unpaid invoices.
Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.

Clerk's assistant/administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
Reconcile claim and ACH payments.
Mail out/process ACH payments to vendors.
Assist with presentation set up and document distribution on HIPPA guidelines and regulations.
Prepare weekly payroll for all employees per week using QuickBooks and excel, payroll reports and customers invoices.
Prepare and create customer invoices utilizing QuickBooks.

Administrative assistant vs clerk's assistant/administrative assistant skills

Common administrative assistant skills

Customer Service, 14%
Data Entry, 11%
PowerPoint, 6%
Travel Arrangements, 5%
Database Management, 5%
Word Processing, 5%

Common clerk's assistant/administrative assistant skills

Data Entry, 19%
Customer Service, 15%
Telephone Calls, 8%
Purchase Orders, 7%
Financial Reports, 4%
Front Desk, 4%

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Administrative Assistant vs Clerk's Assistant/Administrative Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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