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The differences between clerical aides 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 clerical aide and an office secretary. Additionally, an office secretary has an average salary of $33,118, which is higher than the $29,426 average annual salary of a clerical aide.
The top three skills for a clerical aide include clerical support, computer data entry and computer programs. The most important skills for an office secretary are data entry, phone calls, and telephone calls.
| Clerical Aide | Office Secretary | |
| Yearly salary | $29,426 | $33,118 |
| Hourly rate | $14.15 | $15.92 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 59,698 | 87,771 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Average age | 47 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Clerical aides perform various office-related tasks for company executives like answering calls, sorting documents, taking down the minutes of their meetings, etc. They should have computer skills, be organized, and communicate with people inside and outside the company. These aides proofread standard and templated documents to produce the necessary documentation needed to present the activities held in their department. As they are working for officials in a company, there will be occasions where work hours can be irregular and events that need attendance.
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.
Clerical aides and office secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clerical Aide | Office Secretary | |
| Average salary | $29,426 | $33,118 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $36,000 | Between $25,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chico, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Belmont High School | Guidehouse |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a clerical aide and an office secretary in terms of educational background:
| Clerical Aide | Office Secretary | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between clerical aides' and office secretaries' demographics:
| Clerical Aide | Office Secretary | |
| Average age | 47 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 17.5% Female, 82.5% | Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 8.0% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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% |