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Office clerk vs office technician

The differences between office clerks and office technicians 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 office technician. Additionally, an office technician has an average salary of $34,956, 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 office technician are data entry, patients, and office equipment.

Office clerk vs office technician overview

Office ClerkOffice Technician
Yearly salary$30,927$34,956
Hourly rate$14.87$16.81
Growth rate-5%-5%
Number of jobs106,49782,512
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age4747
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 office technician do?

An Office Technician handles installation and repair tasks by using power tools and manual equipment safely and effectively. Besides installing, maintaining, and repairing central office equipment, an office technician also installs, tests, and labels cable lines. They deactivate, activate, and maintain office equipment. Other duties performed by office technicians include removing non-functional and unused office equipment, managing equipment stations and telecommunication rooms cabling, and maintaining inspection, repair, maintenance, and installation documents. Also, these professionals work as per environmental, safety, and health policies.

Office clerk vs office technician salary

Office clerks and office technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Office ClerkOffice Technician
Average salary$30,927$34,956
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $38,000Between $25,000 And $48,000
Highest paying CityEnglewood, COAnchorage, AK
Highest paying stateAlaskaHawaii
Best paying companyUniversity of Massachusetts BostonMotorola Solutions
Best paying industryTransportationConstruction

Differences between office clerk and office technician education

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

Office ClerkOffice Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Office clerk vs office technician demographics

Here are the differences between office clerks' and office technicians' demographics:

Office ClerkOffice Technician
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 23.3% Female, 76.7%Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0%
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, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between office clerk and office technician 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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Office technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
  • Interact with SCO divisions, other agencies and campuses and the public, to resolve distribution problems concerning mail and payroll.
  • Communicate payroll information with employees.
  • Verify eligibility and coverage with Medicaid and Medicare.
  • Certify to perform refraction to patients participating in clinical trials.
  • Provide patients with surgical and procedural information and instructions as appropriate.
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Office clerk vs office technician skills

Common office clerk skills
  • Customer Service, 21%
  • Data Entry, 18%
  • Telephone Calls, 7%
  • Payroll, 5%
  • Office Equipment, 4%
  • Office Machines, 3%
Common office technician skills
  • Data Entry, 16%
  • Patients, 11%
  • Office Equipment, 7%
  • Office Procedures, 7%
  • Word Processing, 5%
  • Payroll, 4%

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