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The differences between administrative supports and support 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 a support clerk. Additionally, an administrative support has an average salary of $37,692, which is higher than the $35,159 average annual salary of a support clerk.
The top three skills for an administrative support include customer service, administrative tasks and data entry. The most important skills for a support clerk are customer service, data entry, and patients.
| Administrative Support | Support Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $37,692 | $35,159 |
| Hourly rate | $18.12 | $16.90 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 114,480 | 163,168 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A support clerk is primarily in charge of performing administrative support tasks in an office, making the daily workflow easier. Their responsibilities typically include preparing and processing documentation, answering and forwarding calls, handling correspondence, disseminating and organizing files, and running errands as needed. They may also update databases, maintaining records of all transactions. Furthermore, as a support clerk, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff, coordinating to ensure efficient and smooth workplace operations.
Administrative supports and support clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Support | Support Clerk | |
| Average salary | $37,692 | $35,159 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $53,000 | Between $22,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Diego, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between an administrative support and a support clerk in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Support | Support Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between administrative supports' and support clerks' demographics:
| Administrative Support | Support Clerk | |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% | Male, 26.1% Female, 73.9% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 10.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 8.4% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |