Post job

Clerical staff vs office secretary

The differences between clerical staff 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 staff and an office secretary. Additionally, an office secretary has an average salary of $33,118, which is higher than the $32,118 average annual salary of a clerical staff.

The top three skills for a clerical staff include data entry, patients and clerical support. The most important skills for an office secretary are data entry, phone calls, and telephone calls.

Clerical staff vs office secretary overview

Clerical StaffOffice Secretary
Yearly salary$32,118$33,118
Hourly rate$15.44$15.92
Growth rate-5%-8%
Number of jobs85,81187,771
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 42%Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age4750
Years of experience22

Clerical staff vs office secretary salary

Clerical staff and office secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.

Clerical StaffOffice Secretary
Average salary$32,118$33,118
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $40,000Between $25,000 And $42,000
Highest paying CityOxnard, CASanta Rosa, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaHawaii
Best paying companyContra Costa CollegeGuidehouse
Best paying industryInsuranceTelecommunication

Differences between clerical staff and office secretary education

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

Clerical StaffOffice Secretary
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 42%Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Clerical staff vs office secretary demographics

Here are the differences between clerical staff' and office secretaries' demographics:

Clerical StaffOffice Secretary
Average age4750
Gender ratioMale, 19.7% Female, 80.3%Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 7.9% White, 57.4% 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 Percentage6%6%

Differences between clerical staff and office secretary duties and responsibilities

Clerical staff example responsibilities.

  • Manage the receptionist area, including greeting visitors and responding to telephone and in-person requests for information.
  • Assist in accounts payable, payroll, and process OR/Rec room charges for the billing department.
  • Supervise clerical staff, prepare payroll, maintain accounts payable, and order medical and office supplies ensuring sufficient stock.
  • Follow all request for medical records by abiding the HIPPA regulation and scan appropriate medical documents to the client's charts.
  • Comply with confidentiality; adhere to all HIPPA guidelines/ regulations.
  • Manage the receptionist area, including greeting visitors and responding to telephone and in-person requests for information.
  • Show more

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
  • Show more

Clerical staff vs office secretary skills

Common clerical staff skills
  • Data Entry, 30%
  • Patients, 17%
  • Clerical Support, 9%
  • Database Management, 6%
  • Front Desk, 5%
  • Payroll, 3%
Common office secretary skills
  • Data Entry, 12%
  • Phone Calls, 11%
  • Telephone Calls, 8%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 7%
  • Office Procedures, 7%
  • Payroll, 6%

Browse office and administrative jobs