Career comparison
Administrative Assistant vs. Office Clerk
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Administrative assistants earn more at the median ($47,540 vs. $45,010), while office clerks usually get to work faster (A few weeks on the job of training). Administrative assistants keep offices organized: calendars, communication, documents and logistics. Office clerks handle the everyday tasks that keep an office running.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Administrative Assistant | Office Clerk | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $47,540 ($22.86/hr) | $45,010 ($21.64/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $33,280 – $66,350 | $30,310 – $64,680 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | -6.0% (a projected decline) | -6.0% (a projected decline) |
| Openings per year | 163,900 | 249,000 |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Training time | Weeks to months | A few weeks on the job |
| Key credential | CAP (IAAP) | Microsoft Office Specialist |
| Work setting | Administrative assistants work in offices across every industry: schools, hospitals, law firms, government, construction companies and corporations. | Office clerks work in nearly every kind of office.. |
What each job does
Administrative Assistant
- Manage calendars and schedule meetings
- Answer phones, emails and visitors professionally
- Prepare documents, presentations and spreadsheets
- Organize physical and digital files and records
- Coordinate travel, events and meeting logistics
Office Clerk
- Answer phones
- Greet visitors
- Type documents
- File records
- Enter data
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with people, desk work, indoor work, and steady routines. Both are part of the business & office field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose administrative assistant if…
- I’m highly organized and detail-oriented
- I like helping a team run smoothly
- I’m comfortable with computers and software
Choose office clerk if…
- I like variety
- I’m organized
- I’m friendly
Still torn? Take the Administrative Assistant fit quiz and the Office Clerk fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, administrative assistant or office clerk?
Administrative Assistants earn more at the median: $47,540 versus $45,010 for office clerks, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Office Clerks typically train faster (A few weeks on the job) than administrative assistants (Weeks to months).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects administrative assistants to grow -6.0% from 2025–35, compared with -6.0% for office clerks.