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Business owner vs office employee

The differences between business owners and office employees can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a business owner, becoming an office employee takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a business owner has an average salary of $50,934, which is higher than the $35,825 average annual salary of an office employee.

The top three skills for a business owner include customer service, payroll and financial statements. The most important skills for an office employee are customer service, telephone calls, and customer accounts.

Business owner vs office employee overview

Business OwnerOffice Employee
Yearly salary$50,934$35,825
Hourly rate$24.49$17.22
Growth rate6%-5%
Number of jobs107,66374,182
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4447
Years of experience62

What does a business owner do?

Business owners, also known as Entrepreneurs, are responsible for their company and brand's success. There are many areas of responsibility when you're a business owner, such as in the aspects of planning and budgeting, arranging finances and legal documentation, and even hiring the workforce essential for the business to grow. However, these responsibilities will vary according to how a business owner will uphold them. Moreover, building a business from the ground up requires dedication and a vision and mission for the brand.

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.

Business owner vs office employee salary

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

Business OwnerOffice Employee
Average salary$50,934$35,825
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $94,000Between $19,000 And $64,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WAEast Palo Alto, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonCalifornia
Best paying companyBDOSF HealthCare
Best paying industryRetailProfessional

Differences between business owner and office employee education

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

Business OwnerOffice Employee
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaWestern Carolina University

Business owner vs office employee demographics

Here are the differences between business owners' and office employees' demographics:

Business OwnerOffice Employee
Average age4447
Gender ratioMale, 51.4% Female, 48.6%Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%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 Percentage10%6%

Differences between business owner and office employee duties and responsibilities

Business owner example responsibilities.

  • Manage the budget and insure operations run smoothly.
  • Create, own and manage a LLC for grind pet transportation.
  • Establish and manage a beading boutique via the Internet by utilizing Photoshop to post designs on a personal website.
  • Manage sales, customer service, billing, A/P, A/R, vendor relations, negotiations, repairs, and maintenance.
  • Manage end to end business operations including hiring, scheduling visits, conducting customer consultations and performing pet visits.
  • Handle all aspects from A/P to A/R, payroll, ordering and dealing with all distributors and city officials.
    • Show more

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.

Business owner vs office employee skills

Common business owner skills
  • Customer Service, 31%
  • Payroll, 12%
  • Financial Statements, 9%
  • Business Plan, 7%
  • Business Model, 3%
  • Real Estate, 2%
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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Updated January 8, 2025

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