Department assistant vs office clerk

The differences between department assistants and 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 department assistant and an office clerk. Additionally, a department assistant has an average salary of $40,698, which is higher than the $30,927 average annual salary of an office clerk.

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

Department assistant vs office clerk overview

	Department Assistant	Office Clerk
Yearly salary	$40,698	$30,927
Hourly rate	$19.57	$14.87
Growth rate	-8%	-5%
Number of jobs	88,268	106,497
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
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 office clerk do?

Office clerks are administrative employees who handle clerical activities for the organization. They are in charge of managing company records, organizing and storing documents, filing and sorting hard copies of documents, and liaising with other departments or external partners. They are also in charge of handling and scheduling meetings and appointments, managing the reservation of office meeting rooms, and manning telephone lines. Office clerks may also be in charge of ordering office supplies, preparing purchase requisitions for office needs, sending out and receiving official company documents, and other correspondences.

Department assistant vs office clerk salary

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

	Department Assistant	Office Clerk
Average salary	$40,698	$30,927
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $67,000	Between $25,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Englewood, CO
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Alaska
Best paying company	Dorsey & Whitney	University of Massachusetts Boston
Best paying industry	-	Transportation

Differences between department assistant and office clerk education

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

	Department Assistant	Office Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Department assistant vs office clerk demographics

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

	Department Assistant	Office Clerk
Average age	50	47
Gender ratio	Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0%	Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7%
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, 9.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 53.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between department assistant and office 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.

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Office clerk example responsibilities.

Complete medical records requests as specified under HIPAA regulations.
Scan EOB's and attach to payments in software system.
Perform electronic billing of Medicare, Medicaid, and HMO/PPO submissions.
Follow all HIPAA guidelines and safety rules as required within the healthcare policy.
Perform account analysis on credit balance accounts using insurance explanation of benefit information (EOB).
Provide information about establishment, such as location of departments or offices, employees within the organization, or services provide.

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Department assistant vs office clerk skills

Common department assistant skills

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

Common office clerk skills

Customer Service, 21%
Data Entry, 18%
Telephone Calls, 7%
Payroll, 5%
Office Equipment, 4%
Office Machines, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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