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The differences between office support assistants 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 support assistant and an office support specialist. Additionally, an office support specialist has an average salary of $36,549, which is higher than the $33,548 average annual salary of an office support assistant.
The top three skills for an office support assistant include customer service, data entry and office equipment. The most important skills for an office support specialist are customer service, data entry, and phone calls.
| Office Support Assistant | Office Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $33,548 | $36,549 |
| Hourly rate | $16.13 | $17.57 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 134,113 | 130,301 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An office support assistant is in charge of performing clerical support tasks to keep offices running smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities typically include answering calls and correspondence, preparing and processing documents, organizing and disseminating files, and coordinating with different departments. There are also instances where they must attend meetings and take down information, greet visitors, and monitor the inventory of office supplies, processing procurement requests when necessary. Furthermore, they may assist the staff when it comes to programs and projects.
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 support assistants and office support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Office Support Assistant | Office Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $33,548 | $36,549 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $42,000 | Between $29,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Billerica, MA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Sierra Pacific Industries | Anne Arundel County Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Finance |
There are a few differences between an office support assistant and an office support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Office Support Assistant | Office Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between office support assistants' and office support specialists' demographics:
| Office Support Assistant | Office Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 18.1% Female, 81.9% | Male, 17.8% Female, 82.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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% |