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The differences between administrative assistants/personal 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/personal assistant and a clerical/administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant/personal assistant has an average salary of $40,751, which is higher than the $30,983 average annual salary of a clerical/administrative assistant.
The top three skills for an administrative assistant/personal assistant include payroll, scheduling appointments and financial statements. The most important skills for a clerical/administrative assistant are data entry, word processing, and payroll.
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $40,751 | $30,983 |
| Hourly rate | $19.59 | $14.90 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 70,276 | 56,261 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| 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.
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/personal assistants and clerical/administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $40,751 | $30,983 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $54,000 | Between $24,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | University of California |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between an administrative assistant/personal assistant and a clerical/administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | 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/personal assistants' and clerical/administrative assistants' demographics:
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% | Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5% |
| 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, 9.4% 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% |