Administrative clerk vs administrative assistant

The differences between administrative clerks and administrative assistants 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 clerk and an administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant has an average salary of $34,945, which is higher than the $32,327 average annual salary of an administrative clerk.

The top three skills for an administrative clerk include customer service, data entry and patients. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.

Administrative clerk vs administrative assistant overview

	Administrative Clerk	Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary	$32,327	$34,945
Hourly rate	$15.54	$16.80
Growth rate	-5%	-8%
Number of jobs	137,639	65,769
Job satisfaction	-	4.14
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	47	50
Years of experience	2	2

What does an administrative clerk do?

An administrative clerk provides support to staff and does clerical works. These clerical duties include answering and making phone calls, typing documents, compiling and filing records, and scheduling appointments. The clerks often set up office meetings and invite reliable speakers. Also, they do research and prepare reports or presentations. Candidates for the job must be organized, detail-oriented, and can manage their time well. They must be tech-savvy and have a basic knowledge of bookkeeping. The salary depends on their experience, industry, and location of the job.

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.

Administrative clerk vs administrative assistant salary

Administrative clerks and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Administrative Clerk	Administrative Assistant
Average salary	$32,327	$34,945
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Columbia University in the City of New York	Westfield State University
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between administrative clerk and administrative assistant education

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

	Administrative Clerk	Administrative Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Administrative clerk vs administrative assistant demographics

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

	Administrative Clerk	Administrative Assistant
Average age	47	50
Gender ratio	Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 21.9% Asian, 8.3% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	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%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between administrative clerk and administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Administrative clerk example responsibilities.

Orchestrate special events and reservations; manage customer relations and provide exemplary service to all customers.
Assist teachers with GED packets for students.
Ship orders via customers freight line request (ex.
Schedule and administer the GED exam upon the completion of the inmate's profile.
Enter data in spreadsheets for reports, auction items, payroll and monthly utility accounts.
Process all DMV registration, titles, title flips and plates using CVR and TriVin programs.

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.

Administrative clerk vs administrative assistant skills

Common administrative clerk skills

Customer Service, 17%
Data Entry, 16%
Patients, 9%
Word Processing, 6%
Payroll Data, 5%
Database Systems, 4%

Common administrative assistant skills

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

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Administrative Clerk
Administrative Clerk vs Administrative Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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