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The differences between office associates and clerks 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 associate and a clerk. Additionally, an office associate has an average salary of $31,276, which is higher than the $31,163 average annual salary of a clerk.
The top three skills for an office associate include customer service, patients and data entry. The most important skills for a clerk are basic math, math, and data entry.
| Office Associate | Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $31,276 | $31,163 |
| Hourly rate | $15.04 | $14.98 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 80,214 | 80,311 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Office associates have varied duties and responsibilities within an organization. They are responsible for the cash management operation, customer service functions, and administrative services. Other responsibilities include organizing and maintaining files and documents, administering all bookkeeping activities, and managing the entire office. Office associates also oversee the overall human resource activities within an organization, such as handling employment forms and health insurance administration. The skills required for this position include communication skills, organizational skills, and active listening skills.
Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies. Clerks should have good office skills, communication skills, business writing skills, and time management skills. They should also be able to treat any document or paperwork they handle with confidentiality.
Office associates and clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Office Associate | Clerk | |
| Average salary | $31,276 | $31,163 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $24,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Persistent Systems | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an office associate and a clerk in terms of educational background:
| Office Associate | Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between office associates' and clerks' demographics:
| Office Associate | Clerk | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% | Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |