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The differences between student office assistants and office 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 student office assistant and an office clerk. Additionally, an office clerk has an average salary of $30,927, which is higher than the $24,666 average annual salary of a student office assistant.
The top three skills for a student office assistant include data entry, phone calls and customer service. The most important skills for an office clerk are customer service, data entry, and telephone calls.
| Student Office Assistant | Office Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $24,666 | $30,927 |
| Hourly rate | $11.86 | $14.87 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 73,080 | 106,497 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Student office assistants are responsible for answering and directing phone calls, taking messages, and communicating with customers and other staff members. Other duties and responsibilities of a student office assistant include making and arranging appointments, monitoring and restocking office supplies, and helping with some administrative tasks. They are also responsible for computing, recording, and proofreading data such as timesheets, reports, and records. This role's qualifications may vary from one organization to another, however, the basics include excellent communication skills and proficiency in MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Office clerks are administrative employees who handle clerical activities for the organization. They are in charge of managing company records, organizing and storing documents, filing and sorting hard copies of documents, and liaising with other departments or external partners. They are also in charge of handling and scheduling meetings and appointments, managing the reservation of office meeting rooms, and manning telephone lines. Office clerks may also be in charge of ordering office supplies, preparing purchase requisitions for office needs, sending out and receiving official company documents, and other correspondences.
Student office assistants and office clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Office Assistant | Office Clerk | |
| Average salary | $24,666 | $30,927 |
| Salary range | Between $16,000 And $36,000 | Between $25,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Denver, CO | Englewood, CO |
| Highest paying state | Colorado | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Minneapolis Community and Technical College | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Government | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a student office assistant and an office clerk in terms of educational background:
| Student Office Assistant | Office Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between student office assistants' and office clerks' demographics:
| Student Office Assistant | Office Clerk | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.7% Female, 71.3% | Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 10.1% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 53.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |