General office worker vs office technician

The differences between general office workers and office technicians 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 technician. Additionally, an office technician has an average salary of $34,956, 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 technician are data entry, patients, and office equipment.

General office worker vs office technician overview

	General Office Worker	Office Technician
Yearly salary	$29,182	$34,956
Hourly rate	$14.03	$16.81
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	126,332	82,512
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	2

General office worker vs office technician salary

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

	General Office Worker	Office Technician
Average salary	$29,182	$34,956
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $36,000	Between $25,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	Alaska	Hawaii
Best paying company	Valmont Industries	Motorola Solutions
Best paying industry	Transportation	Construction

Differences between general office worker and office technician education

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

	General Office Worker	Office Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

General office worker vs office technician demographics

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

	General Office Worker	Office Technician
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4%	Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0%
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, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between general office worker and office technician 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 technician example responsibilities.

Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
Interact with SCO divisions, other agencies and campuses and the public, to resolve distribution problems concerning mail and payroll.
Communicate payroll information with employees.
Verify eligibility and coverage with Medicaid and Medicare.
Certify to perform refraction to patients participating in clinical trials.
Provide patients with surgical and procedural information and instructions as appropriate.

General office worker vs office technician 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 technician skills

Data Entry, 16%
Patients, 11%
Office Equipment, 7%
Office Procedures, 7%
Word Processing, 5%
Payroll, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
General Office Worker
General Office Worker vs Office Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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