Difference Between Clerical vs Administrative

When it comes to business, there are several types of employees, but some people are often confused about is what is the difference between clerical and administrative jobs.

Clerical staff is entry-level employees in charge of lower responsibility positions, whereas administrative staff is higher-level positions with more responsibility, such as executive secretaries or administrative assistants.

Now that you know that there is a difference between administrative and clerical jobs, you probably want to know about these two types of jobs a little deeper. Keep reading and learn more.

Definition of Clerical

Clerical is an entry-level type of employee that is involved with general office duties.

Also known as clerk, this kind of staff have low-level responsibilities such as paperwork, sales, record keeping, counter service, typing, mailing, phone answering, data entry, form filling, and other similar tasks.

Clerical staff does not necessarily require having prior experience in the area, and it also is most people’s first job position. With this kind of jobs, formal education is not necessary in most cases, although a high school degree and some vocational training is required most times.

Because they are entry level, lower responsibility kind of positions, clerical staff has a lower salary than other types of employees.

Definition of Administrative

Administrative is the most specialized type staff in a business.

This kind of staff are involved with more complex duties than the repetitive tasks done by clerical staff. Positions such as administrative assistants, executive secretaries, accountants, administrators, finances assistants, and others enter on this job category that demands more time and effort than clerical tasks.

In order to perform their work correctly, administrative staff must have prior experience on the field they are working, as well as having specialized education on the field they will make a career.

Some administrative staff has to manage clerical employees, and due to the high responsibility this type of position has, they get a higher salary than clerical workers.

Main Differences Between Clerical vs Administrative

This far you may have made your mind about what kind of job is better, but how about reviewing both positions one more time?

Basis of Comparison	Clerical	Administrative
Type of position	Entry level	High level
Responsibilities	Low	High
Tasks	Paper work, sales, phone operating, etc.	Management, decision making, business operations, administration, etc.
Prior experience and higher education	Not required	Required
Salary	Lower	Higher

Conclusion of the Main Difference Between Clerical vs Administrative

Some people tend to confuse the clerical and administrative work. But they, in fact, have many differences that are important to recognize, especially if you hold any of these positions.

When it comes to clerical vs. administrative, it can seem that the winner is obvious, but clerical positions are a great first chance for high school graduates that are looking their chance in business.

Administrative positions are the place for clerical workers to aim to when starting their careers, or a great job option for people who are studying most careers.

So next time you hear someone say that there is no difference between clerical and administrative positions, you will be able to correct them and explain how they are different.