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The differences between accounts payable/administrative assistants and administrative staff can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an accounts payable/administrative assistant and an administrative staff. Additionally, an administrative staff has an average salary of $77,101, which is higher than the $41,382 average annual salary of an accounts payable/administrative assistant.
The top three skills for an accounts payable/administrative assistant include purchase orders, data entry and vendor invoices. The most important skills for an administrative staff are telephone calls, word processing, and travel arrangements.
| Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | Administrative Staff | |
| Yearly salary | $41,382 | $77,101 |
| Hourly rate | $19.90 | $37.07 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 56,780 | 119,030 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An accounts payable/administrative assistant works alongside the department head. This position focuses on the administrative side of a budgeting department. They are responsible for organizing a company's financial records, which include all documentation of financial transactions, such as invoices and receipts. They also manage all paperwork needed by their department.
As the administrative staff, they primarily provide administrative and secretarial support for the department. Typically, they do report-writing, filing and scheduling, and payroll. They plan department weekly meetings, schedule conference calls, and work on solving administrative related concerns and issues. They do a complex task that involves multi-tasking from the preparation of department reports, analyzing data, and finding solutions. It is a requirement to be an experienced, collaborator, and trained cross-functional communicator. Moreover, other duties will include scheduling company-initiated activities, meetings, and events.
Accounts payable/administrative assistants and administrative staff have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | Administrative Staff | |
| Average salary | $41,382 | $77,101 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $56,000 | Between $58,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | East Providence, RI | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Gypsum Management and Supply | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Professional |
There are a few differences between an accounts payable/administrative assistant and an administrative staff in terms of educational background:
| Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | Administrative Staff | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accounts payable/administrative assistants' and administrative staff' demographics:
| Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | Administrative Staff | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 6.6% Female, 93.4% | Male, 31.9% Female, 68.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |