Administrative supervisor vs administrative clerk

The differences between administrative supervisors and administrative clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an administrative supervisor, becoming an administrative clerk takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an administrative supervisor has an average salary of $52,656, which is higher than the $32,327 average annual salary of an administrative clerk.

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

Administrative supervisor vs administrative clerk overview

	Administrative Supervisor	Administrative Clerk
Yearly salary	$52,656	$32,327
Hourly rate	$25.32	$15.54
Growth rate	-8%	-5%
Number of jobs	58,242	137,639
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	2

What does an administrative supervisor do?

An administrative supervisor performs various administrative tasks for an organization. These include supervising administrative personnel and office managers, ensuring the smooth and effective management of the company's day-to-day business operations, and organizing training. Additionally, an administrative supervisor is expected to participate in the recruitment of administrative staff and evaluate their performance to ensure their ongoing success. Most employers look to hire someone with strong decision-making skills, relevant industry experience, and in-depth knowledge of policies and terminology.

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.

Administrative supervisor vs administrative clerk salary

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

	Administrative Supervisor	Administrative Clerk
Average salary	$52,656	$32,327
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $77,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	San Mateo, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	New York	Washington
Best paying company	Calamos Investments	Columbia University in the City of New York
Best paying industry	Health Care	Finance

Differences between administrative supervisor and administrative clerk education

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

	Administrative Supervisor	Administrative Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	Western Carolina University

Administrative supervisor vs administrative clerk demographics

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

	Administrative Supervisor	Administrative Clerk
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 32.7% Female, 67.3%	Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between administrative supervisor and administrative clerk duties and responsibilities

Administrative supervisor example responsibilities.

Restructure, decentralize payroll and purchasing; achieve more productive use of headquarters staff; assume increased responsibilities without staff additions.
Delegated/Assign, review and evaluate work assignments, administer performance evaluations, approve payroll, facilitate team meetings/individual meetings, etc.
Scan and accurately attach respective laboratory test results to EMR system.
Enter patient demographics, personal details and insurance information into Medisoft EMR program.
Back office duties include taking vitals, perform EKGs, injections, phlebotomy, vaccines and assisting in minor procedures.
Create PowerPoint presentations to be present to company CEO of international company.

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 supervisor vs administrative clerk skills

Common administrative supervisor skills

Patient Care, 22%
Patients, 21%
Customer Service, 10%
Office Procedures, 7%
Payroll, 6%
HIPAA, 3%

Common administrative clerk skills

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

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Administrative Supervisor vs Administrative Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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