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The differences between office clerks and 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 a secretary. Additionally, a secretary has an average salary of $36,442, 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 a secretary are customer service, telephone calls, and payroll.
| Office Clerk | Secretary | |
| Yearly salary | $30,927 | $36,442 |
| Hourly rate | $14.87 | $17.52 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 106,497 | 69,315 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 47 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
Secretaries are employees who are responsible for many of the administrative needs of the office. They are usually assigned to executives or to a specific department. They manage schedules and appointments, often handling the calendar in the office. They are also responsible for keeping files organized, whether physical or digital copies. During office meetings, secretaries are in charge of documenting the minutes of the meeting and highlighting the action steps that need to be taken. They may also be assigned to check on concerned departments who need to present deliverables in the next office meeting.
Office clerks and secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Office Clerk | Secretary | |
| Average salary | $30,927 | $36,442 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $38,000 | Between $26,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Englewood, CO | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | University of Massachusetts Boston | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Government |
There are a few differences between an office clerk and a secretary in terms of educational background:
| Office Clerk | Secretary | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between office clerks' and secretaries' demographics:
| Office Clerk | Secretary | |
| Average age | 47 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7% | Male, 10.1% Female, 89.9% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 3.9% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |