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The differences between clerical specialists and records specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a clerical specialist, becoming a records specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a records specialist has an average salary of $33,273, which is higher than the $30,736 average annual salary of a clerical specialist.
The top three skills for a clerical specialist include patients, data entry and customer service. The most important skills for a records specialist are customer service, data entry, and office equipment.
| Clerical Specialist | Records Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $30,736 | $33,273 |
| Hourly rate | $14.78 | $16.00 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 60,757 | 28,647 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 47 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Clerical specialists are office assistants or executive secretaries offering administrative support. The specialists schedule conference meetings or calls, prepare statistical reports and correspondence, and maintain sensitive data. They manage both incoming and outgoing mails and the distribution of letters and packages to administrative offices and staff. Their job includes the redesign and reorganization of the existing filing systems of client and internal documents. They comply with corporate confidentiality, regulations, and guidelines. Skills in data entry, customer service, and medical records are necessary for this job.
Records Specialists are administrative professionals who help manage the records of the company. These records may be physical documents or digital copies that are stored in a database. Records Specialists may assist in creating filing systems and knowledge management systems to ensure that the records they keep are easily accessible. They also keep an organized list or database of all the documents that are with them. Records Specialists are in charge of pulling up records upon the request of different departments or individuals. If they are working with physical copies, they ensure that these documents are returned to them. If they are working with digital copies, they ensure that the files they share are kept confidential. Records Specialists may also be in charge of analyzing trends and creating records-related reports.
Clerical specialists and records specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clerical Specialist | Records Specialist | |
| Average salary | $30,736 | $33,273 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $38,000 | Between $26,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Wayne County, Michigan | Mt. San Antonio College |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a clerical specialist and a records specialist in terms of educational background:
| Clerical Specialist | Records Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between clerical specialists' and records specialists' demographics:
| Clerical Specialist | Records Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.7% Female, 86.3% | Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 7.5% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.5% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |