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The differences between administrative assistants/personal assistants and 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/personal assistant and an administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant/personal assistant has an average salary of $40,751, which is higher than the $34,945 average annual salary of an administrative assistant.
The top three skills for an administrative assistant/personal assistant include payroll, scheduling appointments and financial statements. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $40,751 | $34,945 |
| Hourly rate | $19.59 | $16.80 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 70,276 | 65,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.14 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant performs daily and time management tasks, meeting schedules, note-taking, and correspondence. Administrative Assistants answer and direct phone calls to the appropriate staff. They are in charge of ordering and purchasing office supply stocks. Their duties and responsibilities depend on the company and the industry they are working for. They serve as the point of contact for external stakeholders and staff. They must develop professionalism, inventory control, and administrative writing skills.
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.
Administrative assistants/personal assistants and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $40,751 | $34,945 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $54,000 | Between $26,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Westfield State University |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an administrative assistant/personal assistant and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between administrative assistants/personal assistants' and administrative assistants' demographics:
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |