Administrative assistant vs front desk manager

The differences between administrative assistants and front desk managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an administrative assistant, becoming a front desk manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a front desk manager has an average salary of $40,802, 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 front desk manager are front desk operations, reservations, and customer service.

Administrative assistant vs front desk manager overview

	Administrative Assistant	Front Desk Manager
Yearly salary	$34,945	$40,802
Hourly rate	$16.80	$19.62
Growth rate	-8%	-
Number of jobs	65,769	54,551
Job satisfaction	4.14	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	50	47
Years of experience	2	6

What does an administrative assistant do?

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.

What does a front desk manager do?

A front desk manager is an employee employed to manage a hotel's reception area, coordinate all front desk activities, and supervise the support staff. A manager is expected to handle guest complaints and schedule training for front desk staff. Apart from handling hotel guests, a front desk manager must be able to handle cash, accounting procedures, and general administration. A manager should also possess talents such as multitask, manage time as well as proficient in computer skills.

Administrative assistant vs front desk manager salary

Administrative assistants and front desk managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Administrative Assistant	Front Desk Manager
Average salary	$34,945	$40,802
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $46,000	Between $27,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Westfield State University	RH
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between administrative assistant and front desk manager education

There are a few differences between an administrative assistant and a front desk manager in terms of educational background:

	Administrative Assistant	Front Desk Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Cornell University

Administrative assistant vs front desk manager demographics

Here are the differences between administrative assistants' and front desk managers' demographics:

	Administrative Assistant	Front Desk Manager
Average age	50	47
Gender ratio	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%
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, 10.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 5.4% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

Differences between administrative assistant and front desk manager duties and responsibilities

Administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Manage time and attendance using Kronos software for entire department.
Participate in national projects, manage new customer conversions to MCI from other carriers.
Manage FEDEX delivery requirements ensuring compliance with company policy.
Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
Manage company finances using QuickBooks software, including monitoring the operating budget and collecting on unpaid invoices.
Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.

Front desk manager example responsibilities.

Manage vendor relationships in support of CRM and sales reporting projects.
Serve as a point of escalation for guest problem resolution and manage all VIP special guests and execution of requests.
Manage facility procedures relate to insurance and billing and solve patients' queries regarding their insurance renewal and expiry.
Direct a team of three, successfully providing resolution to daily incidents, meeting SLA and KPI objectives.
Supervise entire front of the house functions including front desk and concierge personnel, bell staff and PBX associates.
Utilize Marriott policies and procedures to train new employees and keep proper records to relay training progress to hotel supervisors.

Administrative assistant vs front desk manager skills

Common administrative assistant skills

Customer Service, 14%
Data Entry, 11%
PowerPoint, 6%
Travel Arrangements, 5%
Database Management, 5%
Word Processing, 5%

Common front desk manager skills

Front Desk Operations, 16%
Reservations, 15%
Customer Service, 11%
Guest Service, 8%
Room Availability, 5%
Customer Satisfaction, 5%

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Administrative Assistant vs Front Desk Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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