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The differences between administrative assistants/personal assistants and staff 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 staff assistant. Additionally, a staff assistant has an average salary of $41,778, which is higher than the $40,751 average annual salary of an administrative assistant/personal assistant.
The top three skills for an administrative assistant/personal assistant include payroll, scheduling appointments and financial statements. The most important skills for a staff assistant are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Staff Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $40,751 | $41,778 |
| Hourly rate | $19.59 | $20.09 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 70,276 | 126,202 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| 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 staff assistant is a company employee who is tasked to support and help staff members to adequately fill their roles and assuring that the organization is running efficiently. Working under an administrative supervisor, an assistant's tasks include answering phone calls, scheduling meetings or appointments, and booking the necessary travels. Moreover, an assistant should have excellent skills in written and verbal communication and is highly organized with minimal supervision. An assistant may be able to work in a wide variety of settings, which includes healthcare facilities and government offices.
Administrative assistants/personal assistants and staff assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Staff Assistant | |
| Average salary | $40,751 | $41,778 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $54,000 | Between $27,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Bridgewater, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | - | Massasoit Community College |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between an administrative assistant/personal assistant and a staff assistant in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Staff Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between administrative assistants/personal assistants' and staff assistants' demographics:
| Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | Staff Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% | Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6% |
| 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, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |