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The differences between student workers and office support clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a student worker, becoming an office support clerk takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an office support clerk has an average salary of $32,040, which is higher than the $25,735 average annual salary of a student worker.
The top three skills for a student worker include customer service, front desk and twitter. The most important skills for an office support clerk are customer service, data entry, and word processing.
| Student Worker | Office Support Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $25,735 | $32,040 |
| Hourly rate | $12.37 | $15.40 |
| Growth rate | 9% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 82,353 | 185,683 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 42 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Student workers are students who are employed while also enrolled at the university. They usually work in a department or college where they handle different tasks. Most of the time, student workers are assigned to do administrative activities. Their tasks include sorting mail, sending outgoing mail, manning telephone lines, filing documents, updating records, liaising with other departments, and documenting meetings, among others. Student-workers may also be assigned to handle or assist in university-wide events and activities. They are expected to be technologically savvy so that they can really help out in the department they are assigned to. Student-workers should be responsible, trustworthy, and diligent.
Office support clerks are professionals who provide clerical and administrative duties that support the daily activities of an organization's office setting. These clerks are required to answer incoming calls from clients while maintaining all office and cleaning supplies for the organization. They must communicate with clients and direct them to the appropriate department to ensure quality customer service. Office support clerks must also utilize the automated word processing equipment so that they can produce reports, statistical information, and other departmental information.
Student workers and office support clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Worker | Office Support Clerk | |
| Average salary | $25,735 | $32,040 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $34,000 | Between $25,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Albany, NY | Tualatin, OR |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Washington |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Sierra Pacific Industries |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Finance |
There are a few differences between a student worker and an office support clerk in terms of educational background:
| Student Worker | Office Support Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between student workers' and office support clerks' demographics:
| Student Worker | Office Support Clerk | |
| Average age | 42 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3% | Male, 22.7% Female, 77.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 7.7% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 6% |