Office support clerk vs office support specialist

The differences between office support clerks 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 clerk and an office support specialist. Additionally, an office support specialist has an average salary of $36,549, which is higher than the $32,040 average annual salary of an office support clerk.

The top three skills for an office support clerk include customer service, data entry and word processing. The most important skills for an office support specialist are customer service, data entry, and phone calls.

Office support clerk vs office support specialist overview

	Office Support Clerk	Office Support Specialist
Yearly salary	$32,040	$36,549
Hourly rate	$15.40	$17.57
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	185,683	130,301
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	2

What does an office support clerk do?

Office support clerks are professionals who provide clerical and administrative duties that support the daily activities of an organization's office setting. These clerks are required to answer incoming calls from clients while maintaining all office and cleaning supplies for the organization. They must communicate with clients and direct them to the appropriate department to ensure quality customer service. Office support clerks must also utilize the automated word processing equipment so that they can produce reports, statistical information, and other departmental information.

What does an office support specialist do?

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 clerk vs office support specialist salary

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

	Office Support Clerk	Office Support Specialist
Average salary	$32,040	$36,549
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $39,000	Between $29,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Tualatin, OR	Billerica, MA
Highest paying state	Washington	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Sierra Pacific Industries	Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between office support clerk and office support specialist education

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

	Office Support Clerk	Office Support Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Office support clerk vs office support specialist demographics

Here are the differences between office support clerks' and office support specialists' demographics:

	Office Support Clerk	Office Support Specialist
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 22.7% Female, 77.3%	Male, 17.8% Female, 82.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 7.7% White, 58.5% 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%

Differences between office support clerk and office support specialist duties and responsibilities

Office support clerk example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Audit all deductions for each employee on payroll for various deductions such as; health care, dental and uniforms.
Initiate contact among current and potential clients by assisting in application process, new hire paperwork, and client payroll.
Compile PowerPoint presentations for various department heads.
Assist in creating Microsoft PowerPoint presentations and other documents for staff development and productivity.
Handle administrative work relate to operational process of the office and patients clinical information.

Office support specialist example responsibilities.

Manage and maintain patients' medical records by utilizing computer applications management database processing system to ensure county compliance.
Create PowerPoint presentations to train employees on new software.
Add new documents and update calendars to the SharePoint website for team collaboration.
Conduct payroll accountability & evaluate for accuracy.
Process bi-weekly payroll for part-time civil service personnel.
Update SharePoint website regularly with new employee information.

Office support clerk vs office support specialist skills

Common office support clerk skills

Customer Service, 19%
Data Entry, 17%
Word Processing, 7%
Office Equipment, 6%
Front Desk, 5%
Database Systems, 5%

Common office support specialist skills

Customer Service, 18%
Data Entry, 10%
Phone Calls, 7%
Office Equipment, 6%
Human Resources, 5%
Word Processing, 5%

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Office Support Clerk
Office Support Clerk vs Office Support Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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