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The differences between retail clerks and clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a clerk has an average salary of $31,163, which is higher than the $30,046 average annual salary of a retail clerk.
The top three skills for a retail clerk include stock shelves, groceries and retail sales. The most important skills for a clerk are basic math, math, and data entry.
| Retail Clerk | Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $30,046 | $31,163 |
| Hourly rate | $14.45 | $14.98 |
| Growth rate | - | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 470,355 | 80,311 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
A retail clerk is responsible for selling goods and services to the customers, recommending products based on their needs, and responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the product. Retail clerks assist with the store's marketing strategies, organize product displays, monitor inventories, endorse promotional discounts, and help customers on their checkout payments. A retail clerk must have excellent communication and customer service skills to handle customers' requests and ensure their highest satisfaction.
Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies. Clerks should have good office skills, communication skills, business writing skills, and time management skills. They should also be able to treat any document or paperwork they handle with confidentiality.
Retail clerks and clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Retail Clerk | Clerk | |
| Average salary | $30,046 | $31,163 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $38,000 | Between $24,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Bellevue Jr/Sr High School | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a retail clerk and a clerk in terms of educational background:
| Retail Clerk | Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between retail clerks' and clerks' demographics:
| Retail Clerk | Clerk | |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0% | Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 6.6% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |