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Office clerk vs assistant secretary

The differences between office clerks and assistant secretaries 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 clerk and an assistant secretary. Additionally, an assistant secretary has an average salary of $107,366, which is higher than the $30,927 average annual salary of an office clerk.

The top three skills for an office clerk include customer service, data entry and telephone calls. The most important skills for an assistant secretary are telephone calls, payroll, and scheduling appointments.

Office clerk vs assistant secretary overview

Office ClerkAssistant Secretary
Yearly salary$30,927$107,366
Hourly rate$14.87$51.62
Growth rate-5%-8%
Number of jobs106,49752,165
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4750
Years of experience22

What does an office clerk do?

Office clerks are administrative employees who handle clerical activities for the organization. They are in charge of managing company records, organizing and storing documents, filing and sorting hard copies of documents, and liaising with other departments or external partners. They are also in charge of handling and scheduling meetings and appointments, managing the reservation of office meeting rooms, and manning telephone lines. Office clerks may also be in charge of ordering office supplies, preparing purchase requisitions for office needs, sending out and receiving official company documents, and other correspondences.

What does an assistant secretary do?

An assistant secretary is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the daily operations of various departments and management personnel and ensure the efficiency of business functions. Assistant secretaries usually assist in business communications, responding to customers' inquiries and concerns, reaching out to existing clients to schedule appointments, welcoming guests on the office, and routing calls to the appropriate department. They also handle data entry procedures, updating customer information on the database, as well as creating reports on business and financial transactions.

Office clerk vs assistant secretary salary

Office clerks and assistant secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.

Office ClerkAssistant Secretary
Average salary$30,927$107,366
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $38,000Between $38,000 And $302,000
Highest paying CityEnglewood, COWashington, DC
Highest paying stateAlaskaRhode Island
Best paying companyUniversity of Massachusetts BostonElanco
Best paying industryTransportation-

Differences between office clerk and assistant secretary education

There are a few differences between an office clerk and an assistant secretary in terms of educational background:

Office ClerkAssistant Secretary
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Office clerk vs assistant secretary demographics

Here are the differences between office clerks' and assistant secretaries' demographics:

Office ClerkAssistant Secretary
Average age4750
Gender ratioMale, 23.3% Female, 76.7%Male, 21.7% Female, 78.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 53.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between office clerk and assistant secretary duties and responsibilities

Office clerk example responsibilities.

  • Complete medical records requests as specified under HIPAA regulations.
  • Scan EOB's and attach to payments in software system.
  • Perform electronic billing of Medicare, Medicaid, and HMO/PPO submissions.
  • Follow all HIPAA guidelines and safety rules as required within the healthcare policy.
  • Perform account analysis on credit balance accounts using insurance explanation of benefit information (EOB).
  • Provide information about establishment, such as location of departments or offices, employees within the organization, or services provide.
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Assistant secretary example responsibilities.

  • Manage and oversee all STO relate actions task to OSD impacting future and current operations in STO.
  • Assist main accountant with extra jobs and are trained in QuickBooks.
  • Proofread, edit & type legal briefs, business letters, case notes.
  • Book keeping, answer phone calls, run errands and handle billing using Quickbooks.
  • Assist in contacting and informing the parents of upcoming graduates about alumni programs and donations.
  • Serve as first point of contact for students, faculty, and alumni calling or visiting the main administrative office.
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Office clerk vs assistant secretary skills

Common office clerk skills
  • Customer Service, 21%
  • Data Entry, 18%
  • Telephone Calls, 7%
  • Payroll, 5%
  • Office Equipment, 4%
  • Office Machines, 3%
Common assistant secretary skills
  • Telephone Calls, 13%
  • Payroll, 9%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 9%
  • Financial Statements, 9%
  • Office Equipment, 7%
  • Computer System, 5%

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