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The differences between clerical aides and office support specialists 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 support specialist. Additionally, an office support specialist has an average salary of $36,549, 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 support specialist are customer service, data entry, and phone calls.
| Clerical Aide | Office Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $29,426 | $36,549 |
| Hourly rate | $14.15 | $17.57 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 59,698 | 130,301 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| 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 support specialist is in charge of performing clerical tasks to help offices maintain a smooth workflow. Among their responsibilities include preparing and processing documents, answering calls and correspondence, disseminating and organizing files, monitoring the inventory of office supplies, and processing procurement requests should there be any. They may also assist staff with projects and programs, greet visitors, and coordinate with different company departments. Furthermore, an office support specialist must enforce the company's policies and regulations.
Clerical aides and office support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clerical Aide | Office Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $29,426 | $36,549 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $36,000 | Between $29,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chico, CA | Billerica, MA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Belmont High School | Anne Arundel County Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between a clerical aide and an office support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Clerical Aide | Office Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between clerical aides' and office support specialists' demographics:
| Clerical Aide | Office Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 17.5% Female, 82.5% | Male, 17.8% Female, 82.2% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 6.8% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |