General office worker vs office specialist

The differences between general office workers and office specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a general office worker and an office specialist. Additionally, an office specialist has an average salary of $33,477, which is higher than the $29,182 average annual salary of a general office worker.

The top three skills for a general office worker include data entry, direct calls and office equipment. The most important skills for an office specialist are customer service, data entry, and patients.

General office worker vs office specialist overview

	General Office Worker	Office Specialist
Yearly salary	$29,182	$33,477
Hourly rate	$14.03	$16.09
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	126,332	98,760
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	2

General office worker vs office specialist salary

General office workers and office specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Office Worker	Office Specialist
Average salary	$29,182	$33,477
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $36,000	Between $25,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Alaska	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Valmont Industries	Brookhaven National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Transportation	Finance

Differences between general office worker and office specialist education

There are a few differences between a general office worker and an office specialist in terms of educational background:

	General Office Worker	Office Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

General office worker vs office specialist demographics

Here are the differences between general office workers' and office specialists' demographics:

	General Office Worker	Office Specialist
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4%	Male, 18.3% Female, 81.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 7.5% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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	6%	6%

Differences between general office worker and office specialist duties and responsibilities

General office worker example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Perform basic tasks using QuickBooks software.
Prepare and submit weekly payroll for processing.
Assist in payroll preparation by calculating time sheets and relate duties.
Prepare for upcoming alumni events.
Create professional sales presentations in PowerPoint.

Office specialist example responsibilities.

Provide support for enrolling patients into health coverage programs and manage sensitive patient information to ensure accuracy and confidentiality.
Manage and maintain patients' medical records by utilizing computer applications management database processing system to ensure county compliance.
Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
Provide assistance to office staff including preparing and proofreading memos and grants, transcribing meeting minutes for staff and answering phones.
Perform multiple bookkeeping duties including departmental payroll, print financial reports and other financial material as needed.
Communicate HIPAA compliance to staff, field and outside agencies.

General office worker vs office specialist skills

Common general office worker skills

Data Entry, 20%
Direct Calls, 18%
Office Equipment, 15%
Computer Programs, 15%
Adjudication Process, 8%
Customer Service, 5%

Common office specialist skills

Customer Service, 18%
Data Entry, 10%
Patients, 9%
Office Equipment, 6%
Phone Calls, 6%
Word Processing, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
General Office Worker
General Office Worker vs Office Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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