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The differences between administrative assistants/personal assistants and contract 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 contract administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant/personal assistant has an average salary of $40,751, which is higher than the $39,073 average annual salary of a contract 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 contract administrative assistant are data entry, purchase orders, and powerpoint.
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $40,751 | $39,073 |
| Hourly rate | $19.59 | $18.79 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 70,276 | 64,677 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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.
A contract administrative assistant works on a contractual basis at offices where they are in charge of performing support tasks. Among their responsibilities include answering calls and correspondence, filing and organizing documents, coordinating with different departments, arranging appointments and schedules, preparing and processing files, and running errands as needed. They may also monitor the inventory of office supplies, processing procurement requests when necessary. Furthermore, a contract administrative assistant must maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.
Administrative assistants/personal assistants and contract administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $40,751 | $39,073 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $54,000 | Between $31,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | - | Minnesota State Fair |
| Best paying industry | - | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between an administrative assistant/personal assistant and a contract administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between administrative assistants/personal assistants' and contract administrative assistants' demographics:
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% | Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |