Administrative clerk vs administrative office specialist

The differences between administrative clerks and administrative office specialists 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 office specialist. Additionally, an administrative office specialist has an average salary of $35,177, 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 office specialist are customer service, data entry, and word processing.

Administrative clerk vs administrative office specialist overview

	Administrative Clerk	Administrative Office Specialist
Yearly salary	$32,327	$35,177
Hourly rate	$15.54	$16.91
Growth rate	-5%	-8%
Number of jobs	137,639	96,945
Job satisfaction	-	-
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 office specialist do?

An administrative office specialist helps offices to run efficiently and smoothly by performing clerical support tasks. Their responsibilities often include preparing and processing documents, arranging meetings and appointments, monitoring the budgets and expenditures, answering calls and correspondence, handling the inventory and procurement of office supplies, and developing strategies to optimize office operations. They may also address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and professionally. Furthermore, as an administrative office specialist, it is essential to coordinate staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Administrative clerk vs administrative office specialist salary

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

	Administrative Clerk	Administrative Office Specialist
Average salary	$32,327	$35,177
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $28,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Washington	Alaska
Best paying company	Columbia University in the City of New York	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between administrative clerk and administrative office specialist education

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

	Administrative Clerk	Administrative Office Specialist
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 office specialist demographics

Here are the differences between administrative clerks' and administrative office specialists' demographics:

	Administrative Clerk	Administrative Office Specialist
Average age	47	50
Gender ratio	Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%	Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 4.0% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between administrative clerk and administrative office specialist 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 office specialist example responsibilities.

Participate in committee meetings by preparing minutes and presentation summaries, planning meeting agendas, and organizing and managing meeting logistics.
Develop PowerPoint presentations for seminars and workshops.
Prepare briefings for senior level management using Microsoft PowerPoint.
Prepare bi-weekly payroll reports and special cost analyses and forecasting.
Coordinate accessibility into main office building along with identification badge and process direct deposit via state guidelines for payroll.
Coordinate travel arrangements in DTS; schedule mode of transportation, prepare trip folders, arrange lodging reservations and develop itineraries.

Administrative clerk vs administrative office specialist skills

Common administrative clerk skills

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

Common administrative office specialist skills

Customer Service, 27%
Data Entry, 8%
Word Processing, 6%
Payroll, 3%
PowerPoint, 3%
Phone Calls, 3%

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Administrative Clerk vs Administrative Office Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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