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The differences between administrative assistants and administrative associates 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 administrative associate. Additionally, an administrative assistant has an average salary of $34,945, which is higher than the $34,873 average annual salary of an administrative associate.
The top three skills for an administrative assistant include customer service, data entry and powerpoint. The most important skills for an administrative associate are administrative tasks, purchase orders, and customer service.
| Administrative Assistant | Administrative Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $34,945 | $34,873 |
| Hourly rate | $16.80 | $16.77 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 65,769 | 54,499 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.14 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| 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 administrative associate is responsible for performing various tasks such as handling and processing paperwork, attending meetings and preparing minutes, responding to inquiries and other forms of correspondence, keeping accurate records, updating databases, and monitoring the company's financial activities. They also communicate with various department personnel, ensuring coordination should any important matter would arise. Furthermore, as an administrative associate, they are in charge of procuring supplies, implementing company policies, and supporting any staff members if needed.
Administrative assistants and administrative associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Assistant | Administrative Associate | |
| Average salary | $34,945 | $34,873 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $46,000 | Between $23,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Westfield State University | Lord Abbett |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between an administrative assistant and an administrative associate in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Assistant | Administrative Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between administrative assistants' and administrative associates' demographics:
| Administrative Assistant | Administrative Associate | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% | Male, 21.6% Female, 78.4% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |