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The differences between administrative assistants and accounts payable/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 administrative assistant and an accounts payable/administrative assistant. Additionally, an accounts payable/administrative assistant has an average salary of $41,382, which is higher than the $34,945 average annual salary of an administrative assistant.
The top three skills for an administrative assistant include customer service, data entry and powerpoint. The most important skills for an accounts payable/administrative assistant are purchase orders, data entry, and vendor invoices.
| Administrative Assistant | Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $34,945 | $41,382 |
| Hourly rate | $16.80 | $19.90 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 65,769 | 56,780 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.14 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Administrative assistants, or admin assistants, do general clerical and administrative activities. Their duties involve organizing and maintaining files and records, preparing documents, scheduling meetings and appointments, and providing general support in the office. Administrative assistants handle incoming and outgoing official correspondences, take minutes of important meetings and manage calls to the main office number. They also assist executives in providing structure to their day by managing their schedule, drafting e-mails, and other activities that executives may need assistance in. Administrative assistants should have the following skills: organizing, business writing, decision-making, and communication.
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.
Administrative assistants and accounts payable/administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Assistant | Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $34,945 | $41,382 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $46,000 | Between $30,000 And $56,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | East Providence, RI |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Westfield State University | Gypsum Management and Supply |
| Best paying industry | - | Construction |
There are a few differences between an administrative assistant and an accounts payable/administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Assistant | Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between administrative assistants' and accounts payable/administrative assistants' demographics:
| Administrative Assistant | Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% | Male, 6.6% Female, 93.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.4% 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% |