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The differences between accounts payable/administrative assistants and contract 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 accounts payable/administrative assistant and a contract administrative assistant. Additionally, an accounts payable/administrative assistant has an average salary of $41,382, which is higher than the $39,073 average annual salary of a contract 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 a contract administrative assistant are data entry, purchase orders, and powerpoint.
| Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $41,382 | $39,073 |
| Hourly rate | $19.90 | $18.79 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 56,780 | 64,677 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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.
A contract administrative assistant works on a contractual basis at offices where they are in charge of performing support tasks. Among their responsibilities include answering calls and correspondence, filing and organizing documents, coordinating with different departments, arranging appointments and schedules, preparing and processing files, and running errands as needed. They may also monitor the inventory of office supplies, processing procurement requests when necessary. Furthermore, a contract administrative assistant must maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.
Accounts payable/administrative assistants and contract administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $41,382 | $39,073 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $56,000 | Between $31,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | East Providence, RI | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Gypsum Management and Supply | Minnesota State Fair |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between an accounts payable/administrative assistant and a contract administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between accounts payable/administrative assistants' and contract administrative assistants' demographics:
| Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 6.6% Female, 93.4% | Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |