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The differences between accounting and administrative assistants and clerical/administrative assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an accounting and administrative assistant and a clerical/administrative assistant. Additionally, an accounting and administrative assistant has an average salary of $38,192, which is higher than the $30,983 average annual salary of a clerical/administrative assistant.
The top three skills for an accounting and administrative assistant include data entry, customer service and financial statements. The most important skills for a clerical/administrative assistant are data entry, word processing, and payroll.
| Accounting And Administrative Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $38,192 | $30,983 |
| Hourly rate | $18.36 | $14.90 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 73,060 | 56,261 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An accounting administrative assistant is responsible for supporting the operations of the accounting department of an organization by performing administrative duties to maintain efficient and accurate services. Accounting administrative assistants conduct bookkeeping functions, as well as creating financial reports, analyzing account statements, updating account information on the database, processing invoices, and managing account receivables. They must have basic knowledge of the accounting disciplines, as well as excellent analytical and communication skills, especially on receiving clients' inquiries and concerns and administering payment procedures.
An administrative assistant, also known as a secretary or office clerk, is someone who carries out daily clerical and administrative tasks. Admin assistants do a variety of tasks such as answering phone calls, organizing files, maintaining contacts, schedule meetings and appointments, and many more. Their task can be extensive, depending on the needs of operations and higher management. They serve as a gatekeeper of the company, so strong verbal and written communication skills are a must. They should also exhibit great organizational skills and time management since they act as the resource of the company.
Accounting and administrative assistants and clerical/administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accounting And Administrative Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $38,192 | $30,983 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $48,000 | Between $24,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | Ernst & Young | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between an accounting and administrative assistant and a clerical/administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Accounting And Administrative Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between accounting and administrative assistants' and clerical/administrative assistants' demographics:
| Accounting And Administrative Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.0% Female, 90.0% | Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 3.9% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |