Department assistant vs administrative clerk

The differences between department assistants and administrative 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 department assistant and an administrative clerk. Additionally, a department assistant has an average salary of $40,698, which is higher than the $32,327 average annual salary of an administrative clerk.

The top three skills for a department assistant include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for an administrative clerk are customer service, data entry, and patients.

Department assistant vs administrative clerk overview

	Department Assistant	Administrative Clerk
Yearly salary	$40,698	$32,327
Hourly rate	$19.57	$15.54
Growth rate	-8%	-5%
Number of jobs	88,268	137,639
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Average age	50	47
Years of experience	2	2

What does a department assistant do?

A department assistant is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support and ensure the smooth operations of an entire department. Department assistants manage meeting calendars, book travel appointments, assist with company events, respond to clients' inquiries and requests through phone calls or personal visits, update customer records, organize electronic files, create business proposals, and monitor supplies. A department assistant must have excellent organizational and communication skills, as well as the ability to multitask under minimal supervision.

What does an administrative clerk do?

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.

Department assistant vs administrative clerk salary

Department assistants and administrative clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Department Assistant	Administrative Clerk
Average salary	$40,698	$32,327
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $67,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Washington
Best paying company	Dorsey & Whitney	Columbia University in the City of New York
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between department assistant and administrative clerk education

There are a few differences between a department assistant and an administrative clerk in terms of educational background:

	Department Assistant	Administrative Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Department assistant vs administrative clerk demographics

Here are the differences between department assistants' and administrative clerks' demographics:

	Department Assistant	Administrative Clerk
Average age	50	47
Gender ratio	Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0%	Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 21.9% Asian, 8.3% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between department assistant and administrative clerk duties and responsibilities

Department assistant example responsibilities.

Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
Team player/adaptable HIPPA compliant, CPR certify.
Maintain and process Kronos time and attendance records for department employees.
Perform CPR and assist in critical care room with traumas and arrests.
Clean windows, glass partitions, or mirrors, using soapy water or other cleaners.
Prepare and submit time to Kronos system biweekly and Lawson swift maker schedule for staff.

Administrative clerk example responsibilities.

Orchestrate special events and reservations; manage customer relations and provide exemplary service to all customers.
Assist teachers with GED packets for students.
Ship orders via customers freight line request (ex.
Schedule and administer the GED exam upon the completion of the inmate's profile.
Enter data in spreadsheets for reports, auction items, payroll and monthly utility accounts.
Process all DMV registration, titles, title flips and plates using CVR and TriVin programs.

Department assistant vs administrative clerk skills

Common department assistant skills

Patients, 15%
Customer Service, 15%
Data Entry, 8%
Word Processing, 6%
Purchase Orders, 5%
Payroll, 4%

Common administrative clerk skills

Customer Service, 17%
Data Entry, 16%
Patients, 9%
Word Processing, 6%
Payroll Data, 5%
Database Systems, 4%

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Department Assistant
Department Assistant vs Administrative Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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