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The differences between clerks/assistant and clerical/administrative assistants 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 a clerical/administrative assistant. Additionally, a clerk/assistant has an average salary of $32,674, which is higher than the $30,983 average annual salary of a clerical/administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a clerk/assistant include customer support, telephone calls and word processing. The most important skills for a clerical/administrative assistant are data entry, word processing, and payroll.
| Clerk/Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $32,674 | $30,983 |
| Hourly rate | $15.71 | $14.90 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 114,718 | 56,261 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 47 | 50 |
| 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 assistant, also known as a secretary or office clerk, is someone who carries out daily clerical and administrative tasks. Admin assistants do a variety of tasks such as answering phone calls, organizing files, maintaining contacts, schedule meetings and appointments, and many more. Their task can be extensive, depending on the needs of operations and higher management. They serve as a gatekeeper of the company, so strong verbal and written communication skills are a must. They should also exhibit great organizational skills and time management since they act as the resource of the company.
Clerks/assistant and clerical/administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clerk/Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $32,674 | $30,983 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $41,000 | Between $24,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Long Beach, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | United States Courts | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a clerk/assistant and a clerical/administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Clerk/Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between clerks/assistant' and clerical/administrative assistants' demographics:
| Clerk/Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 47 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5% | Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |