Associate vs office employee

The differences between associates and office employees can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an associate has an average salary of $69,556, which is higher than the $35,825 average annual salary of an office employee.

The top three skills for an associate include customer service, sales floor and patients. The most important skills for an office employee are customer service, telephone calls, and customer accounts.

Associate vs office employee overview

	Associate	Office Employee
Yearly salary	$69,556	$35,825
Hourly rate	$33.44	$17.22
Growth rate	-	-5%
Number of jobs	569,041	74,182
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	41	47
Years of experience	-	2

What does an associate do?

Associates are typically entry-level positions for employees who are taking on their first job or organizational role. They are assigned to teams or departments that are related to their skills or educational background. They usually start with smaller tasks that may not seem as impactful but are still essential to the department. Associates are trained by more tenured team members on the ins and outs of the department and the organization. As they grow with the organization, they are given more responsibilities that directly impact the results of the department's initiatives as they work towards their goals.

What does an office employee do?

An office employee is someone who performs clerical and any other tasks usually performed by managers. Office employees are employed as clerical workers in offices or organizations. They execute tasks such as typing and word processing, answering phone calls, bookkeeping, and stenography. It is their responsibility to ensure the smooth daily operations of an office. Their diligence, communication skills, customer service, hard work, and attention to detail are necessary for this job.

Associate vs office employee salary

Associates and office employees have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Associate	Office Employee
Average salary	$69,556	$35,825
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $140,000	Between $19,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	East Palo Alto, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	Simpson Thacher & Bartlett	OSF HealthCare
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between associate and office employee education

There are a few differences between an associate and an office employee in terms of educational background:

	Associate	Office Employee
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	Western Carolina University

Associate vs office employee demographics

Here are the differences between associates' and office employees' demographics:

	Associate	Office Employee
Average age	41	47
Gender ratio	Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6%	Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	7%	6%

Differences between associate and office employee duties and responsibilities

Associate example responsibilities.

Manage the sale of smoothies at different educational institutes while interacting with hundreds of students and ensuring their happiness and satisfaction.
Manage customer resolutions associate with flight reservations.
Lead the team by exemplify reliability through punctuality and personal integrity.
Help drive sales by providing excellent customer service in gourmet cheese, wine, beer, and coffee departments.
Utilize teamwork, communication, customer service, responsibility, and organizational skills.
Work according to ISO standards.

Office employee example responsibilities.

Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
Complete payroll by compiling hours and verifying submissions weekly, via QuickBooks.
File paperwork, organize PowerPoint presentations, assist with typing correspondence and fax documents to appropriate destination.
Demonstrate ability to maintain composure and work efficiently in a fast-pace environment while following HIPAA guidelines.

Associate vs office employee skills

Common associate skills

Customer Service, 16%
Sales Floor, 13%
Patients, 10%
Cleanliness, 8%
Windows, 4%
HR, 4%

Common office employee skills

Customer Service, 72%
Telephone Calls, 5%
Customer Accounts, 4%
Medical Billing, 4%
Computer System, 2%
Front Desk, 1%

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Associate vs Office Employee

Updated January 8, 2025

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