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The differences between client relations specialists and office specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a client relations specialist, becoming an office specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a client relations specialist has an average salary of $39,902, which is higher than the $33,477 average annual salary of an office specialist.
The top three skills for a client relations specialist include client relations, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for an office specialist are customer service, data entry, and patients.
| Client Relations Specialist | Office Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $39,902 | $33,477 |
| Hourly rate | $19.18 | $16.09 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 200,766 | 98,760 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A client relations specialist is primarily in charge of building positive relationships with clients by providing optimal services. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their company of employment, it typically includes handling customer calls and correspondence, offering products or services, discussing promotions or product specifications, answering inquiries, arranging appointments, resolving issues and concerns, and processing payments or refunds. Moreover, a client relations specialist conducts market research and analysis to identify the current trends and practices, aiming for client satisfaction.
An office specialist is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the organization's daily operations. Office specialists must be highly organizational, as well as having excellent time-management skills to handle work units. They have duties including data entry procedures, greeting visitors, responding to customers' inquiries through phone calls and e-mails, and filing and sorting documents. Office specialists are responsible for creating meeting reports, scheduling appointments, evaluating financial statements, coordinating with other staff for event planning, and assisting the senior management with complex functions.
Client relations specialists and office specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Client Relations Specialist | Office Specialist | |
| Average salary | $39,902 | $33,477 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $58,000 | Between $25,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Brookhaven National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Real Estate | Finance |
There are a few differences between a client relations specialist and an office specialist in terms of educational background:
| Client Relations Specialist | Office Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between client relations specialists' and office specialists' demographics:
| Client Relations Specialist | Office Specialist | |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% | Male, 18.3% Female, 81.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 6.5% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 8.4% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |