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The differences between clerks/assistant and office support 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 support assistant. Additionally, an office support assistant has an average salary of $33,548, which is higher than the $32,674 average annual salary of a clerk/assistant.
The top three skills for a clerk/assistant include customer support, telephone calls and word processing. The most important skills for an office support assistant are customer service, data entry, and office equipment.
| Clerk/Assistant | Office Support Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $32,674 | $33,548 |
| Hourly rate | $15.71 | $16.13 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 114,718 | 134,113 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| 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 office support assistant is in charge of performing clerical support tasks to keep offices running smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities typically include answering calls and correspondence, preparing and processing documents, organizing and disseminating files, and coordinating with different departments. There are also instances where they must attend meetings and take down information, greet visitors, and monitor the inventory of office supplies, processing procurement requests when necessary. Furthermore, they may assist the staff when it comes to programs and projects.
Clerks/assistant and office support assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clerk/Assistant | Office Support Assistant | |
| Average salary | $32,674 | $33,548 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $41,000 | Between $26,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Long Beach, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New York |
| Best paying company | United States Courts | Sierra Pacific Industries |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a clerk/assistant and an office support assistant in terms of educational background:
| Clerk/Assistant | Office Support Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between clerks/assistant' and office support assistants' demographics:
| Clerk/Assistant | Office Support Assistant | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5% | Male, 18.1% Female, 81.9% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |