Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between work study office assistants and office support specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a work study office assistant and an office support specialist. Additionally, an office support specialist has an average salary of $36,549, which is higher than the $23,909 average annual salary of a work study office assistant.
The top three skills for a work study office assistant include work-study, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for an office support specialist are customer service, data entry, and phone calls.
| Work Study Office Assistant | Office Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $23,909 | $36,549 |
| Hourly rate | $11.49 | $17.57 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 46,524 | 130,301 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A work-study office assistant is a student who works part-time at campus offices where they are primarily in charge of performing clerical support tasks. Their responsibilities often include handling calls and correspondence, preparing and processing documents, disseminating documents, gathering document signatures, greeting office visitors, setting-up facilities, and running errands. Depending upon their office of employment, they may also participate in conducting research, grading the students' quizzes and tests, making learning materials such as handouts and presentations, and organizing equipment.
An office support specialist is in charge of performing clerical tasks to help offices maintain a smooth workflow. Among their responsibilities include preparing and processing documents, answering calls and correspondence, disseminating and organizing files, monitoring the inventory of office supplies, and processing procurement requests should there be any. They may also assist staff with projects and programs, greet visitors, and coordinate with different company departments. Furthermore, an office support specialist must enforce the company's policies and regulations.
Work study office assistants and office support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Work Study Office Assistant | Office Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $23,909 | $36,549 |
| Salary range | Between $17,000 And $31,000 | Between $29,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Greeley, CO | Billerica, MA |
| Highest paying state | Colorado | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Bridgewater State University | Anne Arundel County Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Education | Finance |
There are a few differences between a work study office assistant and an office support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Work Study Office Assistant | Office Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between work study office assistants' and office support specialists' demographics:
| Work Study Office Assistant | Office Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.1% Female, 75.9% | Male, 17.8% Female, 82.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 8.5% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 6.8% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |