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Administrative assistant/personal assistant vs clerical/administrative assistant

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 vs clerical/administrative assistant overview

Administrative Assistant/Personal AssistantClerical/Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary$40,751$30,983
Hourly rate$19.59$14.90
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs70,27656,261
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age5050
Years of experience22

What does an administrative assistant/personal assistant do?

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.

What does a clerical/administrative assistant do?

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 assistant/personal assistant vs clerical/administrative assistant salary

Administrative assistants/personal assistants and clerical/administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Administrative Assistant/Personal AssistantClerical/Administrative Assistant
Average salary$40,751$30,983
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $54,000Between $24,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City-Seattle, WA
Highest paying state-Washington
Best paying company-University of California
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between administrative assistant/personal assistant and clerical/administrative assistant education

There are a few differences between an administrative assistant/personal assistant and a clerical/administrative assistant in terms of educational background:

Administrative Assistant/Personal AssistantClerical/Administrative Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Administrative assistant/personal assistant vs clerical/administrative assistant demographics

Here are the differences between administrative assistants/personal assistants' and clerical/administrative assistants' demographics:

Administrative Assistant/Personal AssistantClerical/Administrative Assistant
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 13.1% Female, 86.9%Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage6%6%

Differences between administrative assistant/personal assistant and clerical/administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Administrative assistant/personal assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage local office administrative functions including payroll, invoicing and budget.
  • Perform full accounting cycle using QuickBooks accounting software including budgeting and managing personal and company bank accounts.
  • Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
  • Record customer records and relevant job/note information in QuickBooks.
  • Organize and prepare materials & PowerPoint presentations for seminars that AutoOwners host.
  • Calculate, prepare, and accurately process payroll and investigate and resolve payroll issues.
  • Show more

Clerical/administrative assistant example responsibilities.

  • Work with QuickBooks to manage store invoices and accounts.
  • Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA.
  • Support medical doctors, manage sensitive and confidential records pertaining to high risk patients with emphasis on accuracy.
  • Check patients in and out, EMR, collect co-pays, answer phones, and take patients to exam rooms.
  • Assist with preparing and printing of exhibits, spreadsheets and PowerPoint slides as needed.
  • Maintain payroll and expense information.
  • Show more

Administrative assistant/personal assistant vs clerical/administrative assistant skills

Common administrative assistant/personal assistant skills
  • Payroll, 10%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 10%
  • Financial Statements, 7%
  • Front Desk, 4%
  • Real Estate, 4%
  • PowerPoint, 4%
Common clerical/administrative assistant skills
  • Data Entry, 31%
  • Word Processing, 18%
  • Payroll, 14%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 4%
  • Clerical Support, 3%

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