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The differences between office aides and office support specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an office aide and an office support specialist. Additionally, an office support specialist has an average salary of $36,549, which is higher than the $29,255 average annual salary of an office aide.
The top three skills for an office aide include data entry, phone calls and telephone calls. The most important skills for an office support specialist are customer service, data entry, and phone calls.
| Office Aide | Office Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $29,255 | $36,549 |
| Hourly rate | $14.06 | $17.57 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 76,712 | 130,301 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Also called an office assistant, an office aide is someone whose responsibility focuses on secretarial and administrative tasks in health practices, schools, businesses, or any other institution. Office aides help with logistical and clerical needs like copying files, curating schedules, and answering phones. They manage and organize files, receive and direct visitors, create presentations, and answer emails. The skills they need include computer and email use, filing documents, answering multiline phone systems, and typing.
An office support specialist is in charge of performing clerical tasks to help offices maintain a smooth workflow. Among their responsibilities include preparing and processing documents, answering calls and correspondence, disseminating and organizing files, monitoring the inventory of office supplies, and processing procurement requests should there be any. They may also assist staff with projects and programs, greet visitors, and coordinate with different company departments. Furthermore, an office support specialist must enforce the company's policies and regulations.
Office aides and office support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Office Aide | Office Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $29,255 | $36,549 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $37,000 | Between $29,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | Billerica, MA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Community Solutions | Anne Arundel County Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between an office aide and an office support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Office Aide | Office Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between office aides' and office support specialists' demographics:
| Office Aide | Office Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.2% Female, 75.8% | Male, 17.8% Female, 82.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.5% Asian, 8.3% White, 52.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 6.8% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |