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The differences between mailroom assistants and clerical/administrative assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a clerical/administrative assistant has an average salary of $30,983, which is higher than the $29,118 average annual salary of a mailroom assistant.
The top three skills for a mailroom assistant include office equipment, data entry and HR. The most important skills for a clerical/administrative assistant are data entry, word processing, and payroll.
| Mailroom Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $29,118 | $30,983 |
| Hourly rate | $14.00 | $14.90 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 13,048 | 56,261 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Mailroom assistants receive incoming mail and then process, sort, and distribute it to the proper recipients. They may maintain mailroom supply inventories and sort office mail and messages. It is part of their responsibilities to check outgoing mail by preparing it for delivery, including distribution of packages and logging. Moreover, they usually operate mailroom tools such as envelope openers, postage meters, mail sorting machines, mail sealers, fold-and-insert machines, labeling machines, and scanners.
An administrative assistant, also known as a secretary or office clerk, is someone who carries out daily clerical and administrative tasks. Admin assistants do a variety of tasks such as answering phone calls, organizing files, maintaining contacts, schedule meetings and appointments, and many more. Their task can be extensive, depending on the needs of operations and higher management. They serve as a gatekeeper of the company, so strong verbal and written communication skills are a must. They should also exhibit great organizational skills and time management since they act as the resource of the company.
Mailroom assistants and clerical/administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mailroom Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $29,118 | $30,983 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $35,000 | Between $24,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Walnut Creek, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | University of California | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a mailroom assistant and a clerical/administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Mailroom Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between mailroom assistants' and clerical/administrative assistants' demographics:
| Mailroom Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.1% Female, 45.9% | Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |