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The differences between 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 administrative assistant and a contract administrative assistant. Additionally, a contract administrative assistant has an average salary of $39,073, 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 a contract administrative assistant are data entry, purchase orders, and powerpoint.
| Administrative Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $34,945 | $39,073 |
| Hourly rate | $16.80 | $18.79 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 65,769 | 64,677 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.14 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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.
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.
Administrative assistants and contract administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $34,945 | $39,073 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $46,000 | Between $31,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Westfield State University | Minnesota State Fair |
| Best paying industry | - | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between an administrative assistant and a contract administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between administrative assistants' and contract administrative assistants' demographics:
| Administrative Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% | Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8% |
| 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, 9.3% 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% |