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The differences between department assistants and clerks/assistant 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 a clerk/assistant. Additionally, a department assistant has an average salary of $40,698, which is higher than the $32,674 average annual salary of a clerk/assistant.
The top three skills for a department assistant include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a clerk/assistant are customer support, telephone calls, and word processing.
| Department Assistant | Clerk/Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $40,698 | $32,674 |
| Hourly rate | $19.57 | $15.71 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 88,268 | 114,718 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
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.
Department assistants and clerks/assistant have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Department Assistant | Clerk/Assistant | |
| Average salary | $40,698 | $32,674 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $67,000 | Between $25,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Long Beach, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Dorsey & Whitney | United States Courts |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a department assistant and a clerk/assistant in terms of educational background:
| Department Assistant | Clerk/Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between department assistants' and clerks/assistant' demographics:
| Department Assistant | Clerk/Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0% | Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5% |
| 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, 10.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 8.3% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |