Clerk/assistant vs general office assistant

The differences between clerks/assistant and general office 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 general office assistant. Additionally, a clerk/assistant has an average salary of $32,674, which is higher than the $30,764 average annual salary of a general office assistant.

The top three skills for a clerk/assistant include customer support, telephone calls and word processing. The most important skills for a general office assistant are data entry, customer service, and general office assistance.

Clerk/assistant vs general office assistant overview

	Clerk/Assistant	General Office Assistant
Yearly salary	$32,674	$30,764
Hourly rate	$15.71	$14.79
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	114,718	131,527
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	2

What does a clerk/assistant do?

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.

What does a general office assistant do?

A general office assistant is in charge of performing clerical support tasks to help an office run smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities include managing the office calendar and schedules, preparing and processing documents, handling calls and correspondence, organizing and disseminating files, greeting visitors, and running errands as needed. They must also monitor the inventory of office supplies, processing procurement requests as necessary. Furthermore, a general office assistant may assist staff in projects and programs while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

Clerk/assistant vs general office assistant salary

Clerks/assistant and general office assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clerk/Assistant	General Office Assistant
Average salary	$32,674	$30,764
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $41,000	Between $24,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Long Beach, CA	Annapolis, MD
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Alaska
Best paying company	United States Courts	Cargill
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between clerk/assistant and general office assistant education

There are a few differences between a clerk/assistant and a general office assistant in terms of educational background:

	Clerk/Assistant	General Office Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Western Carolina University

Clerk/assistant vs general office assistant demographics

Here are the differences between clerks/assistant' and general office assistants' demographics:

	Clerk/Assistant	General Office Assistant
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5%	Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2%
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, 9.0% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 9.1% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between clerk/assistant and general office assistant duties and responsibilities

Clerk/assistant example responsibilities.

Demonstrate strong math skills in managing inmate s accounts and calmly and effectively deescalating outbursts of belligerent inmates.
Create and present PowerPoint presentations for senior level staff.
Compose a weekly PowerPoint presentation regarding company highlights.
Review payroll to ensure accuracy, compile payroll records and distribute paychecks.
Schedule radiology procedures and appointments accurately, and in a timely manner.
Demonstrate administrative and customer service expertise with responsibility for resolving payroll relate questions.

General office assistant example responsibilities.

Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
Utilize QuickBooks to prepare checks and process for submission to insurance companies.
Assign jobs to the installers into the computer by their installer identification number, addressed any payroll questions from the installers.
Distribute payroll and verify accuracy.
Maintain general office tidiness run errands and perform other job-relate duties as assigned.
Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.

Clerk/assistant vs general office assistant skills

Common clerk/assistant skills

Customer Support, 14%
Telephone Calls, 13%
Word Processing, 11%
Payroll, 7%
Purchase Orders, 5%
Office Machines, 5%

Common general office assistant skills

Data Entry, 26%
Customer Service, 12%
General Office Assistance, 9%
Front Desk, 7%
Schedule Appointments, 6%
Office Equipment, 6%

Clerk/Assistant vs. similar jobs

Clerk/Assistant related careers

Clerk/Assistant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Clerk/Assistant
Clerk/Assistant vs General Office Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs