Office technician vs support clerk

The differences between office technicians and support clerks 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 technician and a support clerk. Additionally, a support clerk has an average salary of $35,159, which is higher than the $34,956 average annual salary of an office technician.

The top three skills for an office technician include data entry, patients and office equipment. The most important skills for a support clerk are customer service, data entry, and patients.

Office technician vs support clerk overview

	Office Technician	Support Clerk
Yearly salary	$34,956	$35,159
Hourly rate	$16.81	$16.90
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	82,512	163,168
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	2

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.

What does a support clerk do?

A support clerk is primarily in charge of performing administrative support tasks in an office, making the daily workflow easier. Their responsibilities typically include preparing and processing documentation, answering and forwarding calls, handling correspondence, disseminating and organizing files, and running errands as needed. They may also update databases, maintaining records of all transactions. Furthermore, as a support clerk, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff, coordinating to ensure efficient and smooth workplace operations.

Office technician vs support clerk salary

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

	Office Technician	Support Clerk
Average salary	$34,956	$35,159
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $48,000	Between $22,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	San Diego, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Hawaii
Best paying company	Motorola Solutions	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Construction	Government

Differences between office technician and support clerk education

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

	Office Technician	Support Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Stanford University

Office technician vs support clerk demographics

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

	Office Technician	Support Clerk
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0%	Male, 26.1% Female, 73.9%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 8.4% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between office technician and support clerk duties and responsibilities

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.

Show more

Support clerk example responsibilities.

Demonstrate strong math skills in managing inmate s accounts and calmly and effectively deescalating outbursts of belligerent inmates.
Inform eligible or potentially eligible individuals with Medicaid cover service and how to use them.
Assist in development and creation of provider workshop materials to include manuals, PowerPoint presentations, and registration materials.
Organize and locate inventory and update companies QuickBooks.
Prepare subpoenas for document production, deposition and trial appearance/testimony.
Record results in database from medical questionnaires complete by individuals presenting Medicaid claims.

Show more

Office technician vs support clerk skills

Common office technician skills

Data Entry, 16%
Patients, 11%
Office Equipment, 7%
Office Procedures, 7%
Word Processing, 5%
Payroll, 4%

Common support clerk skills

Customer Service, 19%
Data Entry, 15%
Patients, 10%
Clerical Support, 6%
Medical Terminology, 6%
Office Equipment, 5%

Office Technician vs. similar jobs

Office Technician related careers

Office Technician related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z