What does an office worker do?
An office worker is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the daily operations of the business. Office workers assist in receiving calls to respond to the clients' inquiries and concerns, as well as welcoming visitors, verifying their appointments, and leading them to the appropriate personnel and department for their business needs. They also do data processing, sorting mail, and filing documents for easy retrieval and reference, especially during meetings and company activities.
Office worker responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real office worker resumes:
- Manage daily office operations maintaining accurate records for payroll and other checks.
- Train in installing windows, showers and glass into homes and commercial businesses.
- Used QuickBooks to accurately compute and produce invoices to be mail to various customer companies.
- Serve as office secretary, organizing files, answering phones, delivering payroll and deposits, organize incoming mail and invoices.
- Assist patients with sensitive and detail orient documentation, schedule appointments and verify insurance benefits.
- Operate 10-key calculators, typewriters, and copy machines to perform calculations and produce documents.
Office worker skills and personality traits
We calculated that 28% of Office Workers are proficient in Data Entry, Administrative Tasks, and PowerPoint. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Office Workers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Data Entry, 28%
Performed data entry tasks while upholding complete confidentiality with sensitive records.
- Administrative Tasks, 22%
Performed a wide variety of administrative tasks and responsibilities.
- PowerPoint, 18%
Worked various office assignments using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Payroll, 16%
Turn in Payroll and then once I get the information back, write a check to the employee for payment.
- Customer Service, 4%
Conduct exceptional customer service by responding to telephone and email inquiries in a timely and professional fashion
- Telephone Calls, 2%
Attend, generate and refer telephone calls and guide citizens as appropriate.
Most office workers use their skills in "data entry," "administrative tasks," and "powerpoint" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential office worker responsibilities here:
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an office worker to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "general office clerks often provide general information to company staff, customers, or the public." Office workers often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "organized data entry information into corporate database and processed products to be shipped to customers. "
Detail oriented. Another essential skill to perform office worker duties is detail oriented. Office workers responsibilities require that "general office clerks perform many clerical tasks that require attention to detail, such as preparing bills." Office workers also use detail oriented in their role according to a real resume snippet: "job details: money handling paying bills scheduling appointments ordering inventory & parts answering calls creating spreadsheets billing filing customer service"
Organizational skills. This is an important skill for office workers to perform their duties. For an example of how office worker responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "general office clerks file and retrieve records." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an office worker: "assisted with various tasks concerning filing and organization of important documents* extensive work with microsoft excel* data entry and organizational duties".
The three companies that hire the most office workers are:
- Aramark39 office workers jobs
- The Salvation Army3 office workers jobs
- Fred Hutch2 office workers jobs
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Compare different office workers
Office worker vs. Administrative office specialist
An administrative office specialist helps offices to run efficiently and smoothly by performing clerical support tasks. Their responsibilities often include preparing and processing documents, arranging meetings and appointments, monitoring the budgets and expenditures, answering calls and correspondence, handling the inventory and procurement of office supplies, and developing strategies to optimize office operations. They may also address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and professionally. Furthermore, as an administrative office specialist, it is essential to coordinate staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, office worker responsibilities require skills like "scheduling appointments," "office machines," "computer system," and "computer programs." Meanwhile a typical administrative office specialist has skills in areas such as "phone calls," "hr," "travel arrangements," and "provides administrative support." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Administrative office specialists tend to make the most money working in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $36,820. In contrast, office workers make the biggest average salary, $40,267, in the education industry.The education levels that administrative office specialists earn slightly differ from office workers. In particular, administrative office specialists are 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an office worker. Additionally, they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Office worker vs. Front office specialist
A front office specialist performs varied duties and administrative tasks for an organization. These include maintaining the cleanliness of the front desk, greeting and welcoming guests and visitors, and answering questions and managing complaints. Other duties include answering telephone calls, receiving packages and letters, and checking, sorting, and forwarding emails. As front office specialist, you are expected to maintain updated files and records, prepare various types of written materials, and research a wide range of topics as requested.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, office worker responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "administrative tasks," "powerpoint," "payroll," and "scheduling appointments." Meanwhile, a front office specialist has duties that require skills in areas such as "patients," "medical terminology," "check-in," and "patient care." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
In general, front office specialists achieve similar levels of education than office workers. They're 1.7% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Office worker vs. Business office associate
Business office associates are responsible for providing clerical and administrative support to the office staff for efficient and smooth operations of the office operations. They typically perform a number of tasks that include managing and entering data to spreadsheets and databases, organizing and maintaining files and documents, and assisting with bookkeeping activities. Additionally, they are responsible for managing work projects and overall office management, collaborating with other departments, and maintaining financial documents and customer information. Business office associates are also expected to oversee human resource activities such as handling of employment forms and administering health insurance.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, office workers are more likely to have skills like "administrative tasks," "telephone calls," "word processing," and "office machines." But a business office associate is more likely to have skills like "multi-line phone system," "vehicle sales," "patients," and "payable functions."
Business office associates typically earn similar educational levels compared to office workers. Specifically, they're 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Office worker vs. Office receptionist
An office receptionist, or administrative assistant, performs various administrative tasks for an organization. These tasks may include answering phone calls, providing the public and customers with information, and warmly welcoming, greeting, and directing visitors or guests accordingly. Additionally, an office receptionist is responsible for maintaining security by issuing visitor badges, monitoring logbooks, and following procedures. Administrative assistants are also responsible for preparing and processing travel vouchers and other documents. Some employers prefer someone with a college or bachelor's degree, telephone skills, and excellent communication skills.
Types of office worker
Updated January 8, 2025
