Business office clerk vs office secretary

The differences between business office clerks and office secretaries 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 office clerk and an office secretary. Additionally, an office secretary has an average salary of $33,118, which is higher than the $28,097 average annual salary of a business office clerk.

The top three skills for a business office clerk include patients, data entry and insurance verification. The most important skills for an office secretary are data entry, phone calls, and telephone calls.

Business office clerk vs office secretary overview

	Business Office Clerk	Office Secretary
Yearly salary	$28,097	$33,118
Hourly rate	$13.51	$15.92
Growth rate	-5%	-8%
Number of jobs	183,094	87,771
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	47	50
Years of experience	2	2

What does a business office clerk do?

A business office clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support business operations that would help the company achieve its daily goals and objectives. Business office clerks monitor business and financial transactions, manage inventories, respond to inquiries and concerns, direct visitors to the appropriate personnel, schedule appointments, and file reports. A business office clerk must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in finishing duties within the deadline, even under minimal supervision.

What does an office secretary do?

An office secretary is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to ensure the smooth flow of operations and prevent delays with project deliverables. Office secretaries also welcome guests, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and direct them to the appropriate department or personnel for their appointments. They schedule meetings, sort documents, handle incoming and outgoing mail, as well as manage inventories for the adequacy of office supplies. An office secretary must have excellent time-management and multitasking skills to conduct tasks within a strict deadline and minimal supervision.

Business office clerk vs office secretary salary

Business office clerks and office secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Business Office Clerk	Office Secretary
Average salary	$28,097	$33,118
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $37,000	Between $25,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Tacoma, WA	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Hawaii
Best paying company	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	Guidehouse
Best paying industry	Insurance	Telecommunication

Differences between business office clerk and office secretary education

There are a few differences between a business office clerk and an office secretary in terms of educational background:

	Business Office Clerk	Office Secretary
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Business office clerk vs office secretary demographics

Here are the differences between business office clerks' and office secretaries' demographics:

	Business Office Clerk	Office Secretary
Average age	47	50
Gender ratio	Male, 17.9% Female, 82.1%	Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 8.1% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between business office clerk and office secretary duties and responsibilities

Business office clerk example responsibilities.

Manage front office check-in, insurance verification and certifications from doctors.
Verify insurance using knowledge of medical terminology, provide customer service, and schedule patients for surgery.
Demonstrate ICD-9, CPT, and data entry.
Expand knowledge of ICD-9, CPT and HCPCS codes to include cardiovascular procedures
Complete duties in payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, purchase orders and internal control implementations.
Ensure all documents are completed, charts update, and records meet HIPPA regulations.

Office secretary example responsibilities.

Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.
Research and keep updated on Medicare and Medicaid benefits, qualification requirements, and the legal and financial effects of options.
Determine client eligibility for Medicaid transportation.
Process and submit payroll information and invoices.
Maintain departmental inventory, purchasing/travel paperwork, and process payroll.
Answer customer phone calls-Record daily business transactions-Manage QuickBooks and bank accounts-Enter parts invoices and take inventory

Business office clerk vs office secretary skills

Common business office clerk skills

Patients, 26%
Data Entry, 13%
Insurance Verification, 7%
Hippa, 4%
Office Equipment, 3%
Customer Service, 3%

Common office secretary skills

Data Entry, 12%
Phone Calls, 11%
Telephone Calls, 8%
Scheduling Appointments, 7%
Office Procedures, 7%
Payroll, 6%

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Business Office Clerk vs Office Secretary

Updated January 8, 2025

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