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The differences between clerks/assistant and administrative clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a clerk/assistant and an administrative clerk. Additionally, a clerk/assistant has an average salary of $32,674, which is higher than the $32,327 average annual salary of an administrative clerk.
The top three skills for a clerk/assistant include customer support, telephone calls and word processing. The most important skills for an administrative clerk are customer service, data entry, and patients.
| Clerk/Assistant | Administrative Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $32,674 | $32,327 |
| Hourly rate | $15.71 | $15.54 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 114,718 | 137,639 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A clerk is someone who performs administrative tasks assigned by a manager or by other employees. The job includes responsibilities like dealing with correspondence, data maintenance through manual or computer systems, filing, and related general office duties. It involves typing letters, reports, and any other business-related documents. Clerks sort and respond to emails or forward them to other employees. They need to develop skills in typing, administrative duties, customer service and relations, and attention to detail.
An administrative clerk provides support to staff and does clerical works. These clerical duties include answering and making phone calls, typing documents, compiling and filing records, and scheduling appointments. The clerks often set up office meetings and invite reliable speakers. Also, they do research and prepare reports or presentations. Candidates for the job must be organized, detail-oriented, and can manage their time well. They must be tech-savvy and have a basic knowledge of bookkeeping. The salary depends on their experience, industry, and location of the job.
Clerks/assistant and administrative clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clerk/Assistant | Administrative Clerk | |
| Average salary | $32,674 | $32,327 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $41,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Long Beach, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | United States Courts | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a clerk/assistant and an administrative clerk in terms of educational background:
| Clerk/Assistant | Administrative Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between clerks/assistant' and administrative clerks' demographics:
| Clerk/Assistant | Administrative Clerk | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5% | Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 8.3% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 21.9% Asian, 8.3% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |