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The differences between clerks/assistant and office clerical 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 an office clerical assistant. Additionally, a clerk/assistant has an average salary of $32,674, which is higher than the $28,373 average annual salary of an office clerical assistant.
The top three skills for a clerk/assistant include customer support, telephone calls and word processing. The most important skills for an office clerical assistant are data entry, customer service, and patients.
| Clerk/Assistant | Office Clerical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $32,674 | $28,373 |
| Hourly rate | $15.71 | $13.64 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 114,718 | 83,010 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| 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.
Office clerical assistants are professionals who are responsible for performing a variety of clerical tasks within an organization's office. These assistants must provide office assistance functions such as responding to emails, filing papers, and preparing schedules while handling customers at the front desk. They are required to use automated word processing equipment to produce correspondence, forms, or reports. Clerical assistants must also answer high profile telephone calls and forward the messages to the appropriate person.
Clerks/assistant and office clerical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clerk/Assistant | Office Clerical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $32,674 | $28,373 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $41,000 | Between $22,000 And $35,000 |
| Highest paying City | Long Beach, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | United States Courts | Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a clerk/assistant and an office clerical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Clerk/Assistant | Office Clerical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between clerks/assistant' and office clerical assistants' demographics:
| Clerk/Assistant | Office Clerical Assistant | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5% | Male, 18.5% Female, 81.5% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 7.4% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |