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The differences between secretaries and clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a secretary and a clerk. Additionally, a secretary has an average salary of $36,442, which is higher than the $31,163 average annual salary of a clerk.
The top three skills for a secretary include customer service, telephone calls and payroll. The most important skills for a clerk are basic math, math, and data entry.
| Secretary | Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $36,442 | $31,163 |
| Hourly rate | $17.52 | $14.98 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 69,315 | 80,311 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Secretaries are employees who are responsible for many of the administrative needs of the office. They are usually assigned to executives or to a specific department. They manage schedules and appointments, often handling the calendar in the office. They are also responsible for keeping files organized, whether physical or digital copies. During office meetings, secretaries are in charge of documenting the minutes of the meeting and highlighting the action steps that need to be taken. They may also be assigned to check on concerned departments who need to present deliverables in the next office meeting.
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.
Secretaries and clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Secretary | Clerk | |
| Average salary | $36,442 | $31,163 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $51,000 | Between $24,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a secretary and a clerk in terms of educational background:
| Secretary | Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between secretaries' and clerks' demographics:
| Secretary | Clerk | |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.1% Female, 89.9% | Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 3.9% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 6% | 6% |