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What does a clerk/assistant do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read

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.

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Clerk/assistant responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real clerk/assistant resumes:

  • 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.
  • Maintain cleanliness of the company warehouse, operate warehouse machinery and organize the warehouse to ensure proper product placement.
  • Verify Medi-cal and additional government plans prior to patient attending appointment.

Clerk/assistant skills and personality traits

We calculated that 14% of Clerks/Assistant are proficient in Customer Support, Telephone Calls, and Word Processing. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Organizational skills.

We break down the percentage of Clerks/Assistant that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Customer Support, 14%

    Resolved customer support related issues and provided customer with proper solution.

  • Telephone Calls, 13%

    Staff front desk, greet clients and visitors, answer telephone calls and refer clients and visitors to appropriate Department staff.

  • Word Processing, 11%

    Generated Court reports; drafted correspondence using computer word processing software.

  • Payroll, 7%

    Demonstrated administrative and customer service expertise with responsibility for resolving payroll related questions.

  • Purchase Orders, 5%

    Maintained purchase orders requiring annual renewal for services to meet operation and union contract requirements.

  • Office Machines, 5%

    Operate standard and specialized office machines and equipment such as copiers, faxes, postage meters, shredders, image i.e.

"customer support," "telephone calls," and "word processing" are among the most common skills that clerks/assistant use at work. You can find even more clerk/assistant responsibilities below, including:

Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a clerk/assistant to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "general office clerks often provide general information to company staff, customers, or the public." Clerks/assistant often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "processed customers mail/parcels, sold stamp stock, momey orders, and other postal services using our computer systems and scales. "

Detail oriented. Another essential skill to perform clerk/assistant duties is detail oriented. Clerks/assistant responsibilities require that "general office clerks perform many clerical tasks that require attention to detail, such as preparing bills." Clerks/assistant also use detail oriented in their role according to a real resume snippet: "answered multiple line telephone to assist clients in scheduling appointments and taking detailed messages if needed. "

Organizational skills. clerks/assistant are also known for organizational skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to clerk/assistant responsibilities, because "general office clerks file and retrieve records." A clerk/assistant resume example shows how organizational skills is used in the workplace: "created word processing, spreadsheets and organizational documents using current personal computer software programs. "

All clerk/assistant skills

The three companies that hire the most clerk/assistants are:

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Compare different clerks/assistant

Clerk/assistant vs. Administrative clerk

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.

If we compare the average clerk/assistant annual salary with that of an administrative clerk, we find that administrative clerks typically earn a $347 lower salary than clerks/assistant make annually.Even though clerks/assistant and administrative clerks are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require telephone calls, word processing, and purchase orders in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a clerk/assistant are more likely to require skills like "customer support," "various management," "payroll," and "financial statements." On the other hand, a job as an administrative clerk requires skills like "customer service," "data entry," "patients," and "payroll data." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Administrative clerks earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $33,044. On the other hand, clerks/assistant are paid more in the finance industry with an average salary of $35,503.On average, administrative clerks reach similar levels of education than clerks/assistant. Administrative clerks are 0.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Clerk/assistant vs. Data clerk

A data clerk is responsible for performing administrative support tasks, mainly focusing on data-entry. Their responsibilities typically include updating databases, maintaining records on spreadsheets and other documents, preparing and processing files, creating and organizing reports, coordinating with different departments to gather or disseminate data, and performing research and analysis. They may also handle calls and correspondence, monitor schedules and office supply inventory, and complete support tasks for staff as necessary. Furthermore, as a data clerk, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with teams and adhere to the company's data security policies and regulations.

A career as a data clerk brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a clerk/assistant. In fact, data clerks salary is $1,124 lower than the salary of clerks/assistant per year.A few skills overlap for clerks/assistant and data clerks. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "telephone calls," "payroll," and "purchase orders. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real clerk/assistant resumes. While clerk/assistant responsibilities can utilize skills like "customer support," "word processing," "various management," and "financial statements," data clerks use skills like "database systems," "computer entry," "data entry," and "student data."

Data clerks earn a lower average salary than clerks/assistant. But data clerks earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $35,533. Additionally, clerks/assistant earn the highest salaries in the finance with average pay of $35,503 annually.data clerks earn similar levels of education than clerks/assistant in general. They're 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Clerk/assistant vs. Room clerk

A room clerk is responsible for receiving guests and assigning them to their respective rooms, typically in a hotel setting. Room clerks manage guests' reservations, explain the policies of the premises, and process their payments for staying at the hotel. They also ensure the rooms' cleanliness, reaching out to the maintenance for any repairs and requests for additional room items. A room clerk must have excellent communication and customer service skills, respond to the customer's inquiries and concerns, and resolve service complaints immediately.

On average, room clerks earn lower salaries than clerks/assistant, with a $1,887 difference per year.clerks/assistant and room clerks both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "telephone calls," "purchase orders," and "office machines," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, clerks/assistant are more likely to have skills like "customer support," "word processing," "various management," and "payroll." But a room clerk is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "data entry," "stock room," and "postage meter."

Room clerks earn the best pay in the government industry, where they command an average salary of $33,014. Clerks/assistant earn the highest pay from the finance industry, with an average salary of $35,503.When it comes to education, room clerks tend to earn similar degree levels compared to clerks/assistant. In fact, they're 0.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Clerk/assistant vs. Administrative assistant/technical

An administrative assistant/technical is primarily responsible for performing clerical and support tasks in a company, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. They must produce progress reports, process documentation, receive communication letters, manage schedules, and even greet visitors. There are also instances when an administrative assistant/technical has to answer calls and correspondence, respond to inquiries, address issues and concerns, and resolve them promptly and professionally. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions, coordinate with different departments, and adhere to the company's policies and regulations.

Administrative assistant/technicals tend to earn a higher pay than clerks/assistant by an average of $9,867 per year.While their salaries may vary, clerks/assistant and administrative assistant/technicals both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "telephone calls," "word processing," and "payroll. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A clerk/assistant uses "customer support," "various management," "office machines," and "financial statements." Administrative assistant/technicals are more likely to have duties that require skills in "patients," "data entry," "access database," and "expense reports. "In general, administrative assistant/technicals earn the most working in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $42,925. The highest-paying industry for a clerk/assistant is the finance industry.The average resume of administrative assistant/technicals showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to clerks/assistant. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 1.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 1.2%.

Types of clerk/assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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