Human resources clerk vs personnel assistant

The differences between human resources clerks and personnel assistants 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 clerk and a personnel assistant. Additionally, a personnel assistant has an average salary of $38,830, which is higher than the $35,149 average annual salary of a human resources clerk.

The top three skills for a human resources clerk include data entry, customer service and background checks. The most important skills for a personnel assistant are human resources, data entry, and office equipment.

Human resources clerk vs personnel assistant overview

	Human Resources Clerk	Personnel Assistant
Yearly salary	$35,149	$38,830
Hourly rate	$16.90	$18.67
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	107,374	6,684
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a human resources clerk do?

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.

What does a personnel assistant do?

Personnel assistants are professionals who perform administrative duties while assisting the human resources director to maintain and keep the records and confidential files of employees working in an organization. These assistants must communicate with all personnel about their compensation policies while ensuring that the company policies and procedures are consistently applied. They are required to coordinate with supervisors to create job descriptions and develop recruiting advertisements. Personnel assistants must also purchase office supplies while maintaining the cleanliness and orderliness of their office area.

Human resources clerk vs personnel assistant salary

Human resources clerks and personnel assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Human Resources Clerk	Personnel Assistant
Average salary	$35,149	$38,830
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $45,000	Between $29,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Auburn, NY	Monterey, CA
Highest paying state	Oregon	California
Best paying company	University of Massachusetts Boston	Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
Best paying industry	Government	Non Profits

Differences between human resources clerk and personnel assistant education

There are a few differences between a human resources clerk and a personnel assistant in terms of educational background:

	Human Resources Clerk	Personnel Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Human resources clerk vs personnel assistant demographics

Here are the differences between human resources clerks' and personnel assistants' demographics:

	Human Resources Clerk	Personnel Assistant
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0%	Male, 18.5% Female, 81.5%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 9.1% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between human resources clerk and personnel assistant duties and responsibilities

Human resources clerk example responsibilities.

Manage mail, postage, bank deposits and FedEx runs, etc.
Manage timesheets for payroll, account for all employees, and enter information into QuickBooks.
Operate TALEO software system for managing prospective and current employee application status and procedures
Enter all payroll/timekeeping information into payroll system, including leave slips for vacations, flex time, bereavement and/or FMLA.
Utilize the Kronos system to retrieve time bank information, alter hours for correction, verify accurate processing.
Track all 2nd and 3rd shift attendance by running reports in Kronos and transferring attendance data into PeopleSoft.

Personnel assistant example responsibilities.

Manage new employee orientation training, including e-verify.
Maintain employee's timekeeping and personnel records.
Coordinate staff reports, monthly activity, insurance updates and EEO activity.
Record data for each employee, including absences, coaching and timekeeping.
Maintain and handle confidential information such as grievances, EEO relate matters, etc.
Create and maintain a database for the sick line, FMLA tracking, payroll document tracking, and benefit adjustment tracking.

Human resources clerk vs personnel assistant skills

Common human resources clerk skills

Data Entry, 16%
Customer Service, 14%
Background Checks, 7%
I-9, 5%
HRIS, 4%
Front Desk, 4%

Common personnel assistant skills

Human Resources, 16%
Data Entry, 13%
Office Equipment, 7%
CAC, 5%
Personnel Actions, 4%
Background Checks, 4%

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Human Resources Clerk vs Personnel Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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