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The differences between human resources assistants and human resources 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 human resources assistant and a human resources clerk. Additionally, a human resources assistant has an average salary of $36,498, which is higher than the $35,149 average annual salary of a human resources clerk.
The top three skills for a human resources assistant include customer service, payroll processing and background checks. The most important skills for a human resources clerk are data entry, customer service, and background checks.
| Human Resources Assistant | Human Resources Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $36,498 | $35,149 |
| Hourly rate | $17.55 | $16.90 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 40,408 | 107,374 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Human resources (HR) assistants are responsible for various activities of the human resources department of the organization. This is usually an entry-level position for those who intend to build a career in human resources. Human resources assistants usually do administrative and clerical activities for the department. They are also exposed to various facets of HR, such as recruitment, training, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and organizational development. They get trained to do different activities, and as time goes by, they get to have more significant responsibilities within the department.
A human resources clerk's role focuses on assisting in the hiring process within a company or organization. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around posting hiring notices on various platforms, handling job applications, arranging schedules and appointments for interviews, verifying requirements, and responding to calls and inquiries. Besides participating in the hiring process, a human resources clerk also has administrative duties such as maintaining employee information and records, producing progress reports, processing paperwork, and assisting newly hired employees. This is all done in adherence to a company's policies and regulations.
Human resources assistants and human resources clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Assistant | Human Resources Clerk | |
| Average salary | $36,498 | $35,149 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $48,000 | Between $27,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Auburn, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a human resources assistant and a human resources clerk in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Assistant | Human Resources Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human resources assistants' and human resources clerks' demographics:
| Human Resources Assistant | Human Resources Clerk | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.9% Female, 84.1% | Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 15% |