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The differences between business assistants 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 a business assistant and an administrative clerk. Additionally, a business assistant has an average salary of $42,247, which is higher than the $32,327 average annual salary of an administrative clerk.
The top three skills for a business assistant include customer service, patients and data entry. The most important skills for an administrative clerk are customer service, data entry, and patients.
| Business Assistant | Administrative Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $42,247 | $32,327 |
| Hourly rate | $20.31 | $15.54 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 98,348 | 137,639 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A business assistant is responsible for supporting various office functions, performing administrative and clerical duties to ensure efficient and smooth business operations, and provide high-quality services to the customers and business partners. Business assistants handle data processing procedures, writing business transaction reports, and coordinating with suppliers and third-party vendors for any requests made by the company. They welcome visitors, verify their appointments, and direct them to the appropriate personnel or department for their business concerns. A business assistant also schedules a meeting, assist in accounting and human resources tasks, and support the executives on corporate decisions.
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.
Business assistants and administrative clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Assistant | Administrative Clerk | |
| Average salary | $42,247 | $32,327 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $60,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Washington |
| Best paying company | Whitney Museum of American Art | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a business assistant and an administrative clerk in terms of educational background:
| Business Assistant | Administrative Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between business assistants' and administrative clerks' demographics:
| Business Assistant | Administrative Clerk | |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9% | Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.8% 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 Percentage | 6% | 6% |