Clerk vs general office clerk

The differences between clerks and general office clerks 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 and a general office clerk. Additionally, a clerk has an average salary of $31,163, which is higher than the $30,034 average annual salary of a general office clerk.

The top three skills for a clerk include basic math, math and data entry. The most important skills for a general office clerk are data entry, customer service, and office equipment.

Clerk vs general office clerk overview

	Clerk	General Office Clerk
Yearly salary	$31,163	$30,034
Hourly rate	$14.98	$14.44
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	80,311	160,597
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	2

What does a clerk do?

Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies. Clerks should have good office skills, communication skills, business writing skills, and time management skills. They should also be able to treat any document or paperwork they handle with confidentiality.

What does a general office clerk do?

A general office clerk is responsible for performing various clerical duties to support business functions and ensure smooth daily operations. General office clerks respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, welcoming guests, and assisting in disseminating information across the organization. They maintain the adequacy of inventories, organize business and financial transaction reports, and perform basic bookkeeping tasks and banking transactions. A general office clerk must be highly organizational and analytical, especially in encoding account statements on the database and processing business reports required by the management.

Clerk vs general office clerk salary

Clerks and general office clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clerk	General Office Clerk
Average salary	$31,163	$30,034
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $39,000	Between $23,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Washington
Best paying company	University of Massachusetts Boston	USF Reddaway
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between clerk and general office clerk education

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

	Clerk	General Office Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Clerk vs general office clerk demographics

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

	Clerk	General Office Clerk
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%	Male, 22.2% Female, 77.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between clerk and general office clerk duties and responsibilities

Clerk example responsibilities.

Demonstrate strong math skills in managing inmate s accounts and calmly and effectively deescalating outbursts of belligerent inmates.
Manage orthopedic accounts regarding payment posting through IDX medical systems.
Administer financial bookkeeping by way of QuickBooks.
Bank reconciliation in QuickBooks and assist bookkeeper when need.
Maintain a high level of confidentiality as required by HIPAA.
Call DMV's and dealerships when liens are not perfect.

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General office clerk example responsibilities.

Set up PowerPoint presentations using LCD projectors and computers.
Update and maintain PowerPoint presentations used for new hire orientation of management and employees.
Insert data accurately and expeditiously into the company payroll system for future retrieval.
Assist patients with sensitive and detail orient documentation, schedule appointments and verify insurance benefits.
Use QuickBooks for purchase order, inventory activities and sales order.
Bag groceries, assist customers in locating merchandise, cleaning of store floors, restrooms and shelves.

Clerk vs general office clerk skills

Common clerk skills

Basic Math, 18%
Math, 10%
Data Entry, 10%
Customer Service, 9%
Cleanliness, 8%
POS, 5%

Common general office clerk skills

Data Entry, 17%
Customer Service, 15%
Office Equipment, 12%
Front Desk, 11%
Word Processing, 9%
Telephone Calls, 8%

Clerk vs. similar jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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