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The differences between 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 administrative assistant and a clerical/administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant has an average salary of $34,945, which is higher than the $30,983 average annual salary of a clerical/administrative assistant.
The top three skills for an administrative assistant include customer service, data entry and powerpoint. The most important skills for a clerical/administrative assistant are data entry, word processing, and payroll.
| Administrative Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $34,945 | $30,983 |
| Hourly rate | $16.80 | $14.90 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 65,769 | 56,261 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.14 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| 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 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.
Administrative assistants and clerical/administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $34,945 | $30,983 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $46,000 | Between $24,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Westfield State University | University of California |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between an administrative assistant and a clerical/administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between administrative assistants' and clerical/administrative assistants' demographics:
| Administrative Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% | Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5% |
| 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, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |