Department assistant vs clerk's assistant/administrative assistant

The differences between department assistants and clerks's assistant/administrative 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's assistant/administrative assistant. Additionally, a department assistant has an average salary of $40,698, which is higher than the $33,551 average annual salary of a clerk's assistant/administrative assistant.

The top three skills for a department assistant include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a clerk's assistant/administrative assistant are data entry, customer service, and telephone calls.

Department assistant vs clerk's assistant/administrative assistant overview

	Department Assistant	Clerk's Assistant/Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary	$40,698	$33,551
Hourly rate	$19.57	$16.13
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	88,268	54,831
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age	50	50
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 a clerk's assistant/administrative assistant do?

A clerk's assistant/administrative assistant is responsible for supporting the company's operations and customers' needs by performing administrative and clerical duties as needed. Clerk's assistants/administrative assistants respond to customers' inquiries and concerns, acknowledging and processing orders, and posting their payments. They also sort company documents, manage office supply inventory, submit business transaction reports, schedule appointments, and operate office equipment. A clerk's assistant/administrative assistant must be very organized. They must also have excellent time-management and multitasking skills to perform office duties with high accuracy and efficiency under minimal supervision.

Department assistant vs clerk's assistant/administrative assistant salary

Department assistants and clerks's assistant/administrative assistant have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Department Assistant	Clerk's Assistant/Administrative Assistant
Average salary	$40,698	$33,551
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $67,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Simi Valley, CA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Hawaii
Best paying company	Dorsey & Whitney	ADM
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between department assistant and clerk's assistant/administrative assistant education

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

	Department Assistant	Clerk's Assistant/Administrative Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Department assistant vs clerk's assistant/administrative assistant demographics

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

	Department Assistant	Clerk's Assistant/Administrative Assistant
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0%	Male, 13.4% Female, 86.6%
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, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between department assistant and clerk's assistant/administrative assistant 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.

Clerk's assistant/administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
Reconcile claim and ACH payments.
Mail out/process ACH payments to vendors.
Assist with presentation set up and document distribution on HIPPA guidelines and regulations.
Prepare weekly payroll for all employees per week using QuickBooks and excel, payroll reports and customers invoices.
Prepare and create customer invoices utilizing QuickBooks.

Department assistant vs clerk's assistant/administrative assistant skills

Common department assistant skills

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

Common clerk's assistant/administrative assistant skills

Data Entry, 19%
Customer Service, 15%
Telephone Calls, 8%
Purchase Orders, 7%
Financial Reports, 4%
Front Desk, 4%

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Department Assistant
Department Assistant vs Clerk's Assistant/Administrative Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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