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The differences between administrative assistants and human resources 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 human resources assistant. Additionally, a human resources assistant has an average salary of $36,498, 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 human resources assistant are customer service, payroll processing, and background checks.
| Administrative Assistant | Human Resources Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $34,945 | $36,498 |
| Hourly rate | $16.80 | $17.55 |
| Growth rate | -8% | - |
| Number of jobs | 65,769 | 40,408 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.14 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 50 | 43 |
| 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.
Human resources (HR) assistants are responsible for various activities of the human resources department of the organization. This is usually an entry-level position for those who intend to build a career in human resources. Human resources assistants usually do administrative and clerical activities for the department. They are also exposed to various facets of HR, such as recruitment, training, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and organizational development. They get trained to do different activities, and as time goes by, they get to have more significant responsibilities within the department.
Administrative assistants and human resources assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Assistant | Human Resources Assistant | |
| Average salary | $34,945 | $36,498 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $46,000 | Between $27,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Westfield State University | Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an administrative assistant and a human resources assistant in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Assistant | Human Resources Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between administrative assistants' and human resources assistants' demographics:
| Administrative Assistant | Human Resources Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% | Male, 15.9% Female, 84.1% |
| 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, 10.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 15% |