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Administrative support vs administrative clerk

The differences between administrative supports and administrative clerks 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 support and an administrative clerk. Additionally, an administrative support has an average salary of $37,692, which is higher than the $32,327 average annual salary of an administrative clerk.

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

Administrative support vs administrative clerk overview

Administrative SupportAdministrative Clerk
Yearly salary$37,692$32,327
Hourly rate$18.12$15.54
Growth rate-8%-5%
Number of jobs114,480137,639
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Average age5047
Years of experience22

What does an administrative support do?

Administrative support specialists provide different types of governmental assistance. They carry out varied clerical duties in almost all industries. Most of these duties revolve around supervising and distributing information within an organization. This typically includes taking memos, answering phone calls, and managing, storing, and organizing files. They are also responsible for receiving and sending correspondence and greeting customers and clients. Some administrative support may be required to have vast professional knowledge as their duties are more specialized than the others.

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 support vs administrative clerk salary

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

Administrative SupportAdministrative Clerk
Average salary$37,692$32,327
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $53,000Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCSeattle, WA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandWashington
Best paying companyPacific Investment Management Company LLCColumbia University in the City of New York
Best paying industryTechnologyFinance

Differences between administrative support and administrative clerk education

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

Administrative SupportAdministrative Clerk
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Administrative support vs administrative clerk demographics

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

Administrative SupportAdministrative Clerk
Average age5047
Gender ratioMale, 20.4% Female, 79.6%Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%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 Percentage6%6%

Differences between administrative support and administrative clerk duties and responsibilities

Administrative support example responsibilities.

  • Manage company finances using QuickBooks software, including monitoring the operating budget and collecting on unpaid invoices.
  • Interview veterans to determine issues/concerns and recommend services.
  • Mail VA benefits correspondence to veterans and various organizations.
  • Prepare payroll packages for distribution and delivery, including collating and packing of documents.
  • Research and maintain reference library with ADAPCP in support of prevention and rehabilitation efforts.
  • Develop SharePoint training of project personal and create operating procedures, training documents and briefings.
  • Show more

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.
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Administrative support vs administrative clerk skills

Common administrative support skills
  • Customer Service, 18%
  • Administrative Tasks, 8%
  • Data Entry, 6%
  • Payroll, 6%
  • Phone Calls, 6%
  • Patients, 5%
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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