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The differences between business assistants and office 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 office clerk. Additionally, a business assistant has an average salary of $42,247, which is higher than the $30,927 average annual salary of an office clerk.
The top three skills for a business assistant include customer service, patients and data entry. The most important skills for an office clerk are customer service, data entry, and telephone calls.
| Business Assistant | Office Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $42,247 | $30,927 |
| Hourly rate | $20.31 | $14.87 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 98,348 | 106,497 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| 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.
Office clerks are administrative employees who handle clerical activities for the organization. They are in charge of managing company records, organizing and storing documents, filing and sorting hard copies of documents, and liaising with other departments or external partners. They are also in charge of handling and scheduling meetings and appointments, managing the reservation of office meeting rooms, and manning telephone lines. Office clerks may also be in charge of ordering office supplies, preparing purchase requisitions for office needs, sending out and receiving official company documents, and other correspondences.
Business assistants and office clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Assistant | Office Clerk | |
| Average salary | $42,247 | $30,927 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $60,000 | Between $25,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Englewood, CO |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Whitney Museum of American Art | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a business assistant and an office clerk in terms of educational background:
| Business Assistant | Office Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between business assistants' and office clerks' demographics:
| Business Assistant | Office Clerk | |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9% | Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7% |
| 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, 9.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 53.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |