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What does an administrative assistant/supervisor do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read

An administrative assistant/supervisor is responsible for monitoring the overall administrative operations, supervising the administrative staff productivity, and ensuring that all tasks meet the deadline with high quality and efficiency. They also respond to clients' inquiries, manage concerns, and escalate high-level complaints to the appropriate department. An administrative assistant/supervisor also assists with developing strategies, analyzing current market trends to recommend services that would increase its revenues and profitability. This level requires excellent leadership and communication skills to manage staff and evaluate their performance.

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Administrative assistant/supervisor responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real administrative assistant/supervisor resumes:

  • Manage an official company page on Facebook to facilitate interaction with customers and increase customer engagement.
  • Enter data and generate time reports for approval using PeopleSoft.
  • Receive and process cash receipts, credit card payments, and checks in QuickBooks.
  • Enter requisitions into Peoplesoft, purchase office supplies, and schedule travel and conferences.
  • Set up new customers in the QuickBooks database and file folder and maintain the vendor and customer list.
  • Perform audits on medical records for Medicare and Medicaid organizations.
  • Arrange transportation reservations for Medicaid members, while determining their Medicaid eligibility.
  • Design and implement PowerPoint presentations to educate personnel on their company s vulnerabilities.
  • Present PowerPoint presentations, create spreadsheets for database collection to research ways to improve daily operations and patient satisfaction.
  • Implement a solution for staffing restructure that reduce overall salary expense while maintaining productivity for a rehabilitation inpatient nursing unit.
  • Help shipping clerk with work overload for quality check incoming and outgoing FedEx handling.
  • Correct invoices and billing issues along with analyzing the invoice problem to correct potential problems for FedEx customers.
  • Provide administrative support to CPA for the completion of appropriate documentation.

Administrative assistant/supervisor skills and personality traits

We calculated that 30% of Administrative Assistant/Supervisors are proficient in Customer Service, Payroll, and Front Desk. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Organizational skills, and Writing skills.

We break down the percentage of Administrative Assistant/Supervisors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Customer Service, 30%

    Conducted other administrative support duties as assigned organized and maintain a licensing filing system, and customer service training.

  • Payroll, 15%

    Supervised day-to-day operations Payroll Billing Attendance Arrange Meetings Conduct business proposals Schedule Travel Arrangements Microsoft Office Suite Expert

  • Front Desk, 6%

    Supervised front desk which consisted of full-time/part-time receptionist staff.

  • Financial Statements, 6%

    Aided in organizing financial statements and records.

  • Office Equipment, 4%

    Maintain and repair all office equipment and parts replacement for copiers, laptop computers, telephones, radios, and cameras.

  • Schedule Appointments, 3%

    Schedule appointments for the administrators, housing authority and other related assistance programs.

Common skills that an administrative assistant/supervisor uses to do their job include "customer service," "payroll," and "front desk." You can find details on the most important administrative assistant/supervisor responsibilities below.

Interpersonal skills. One of the key soft skills for an administrative assistant/supervisor to have is interpersonal skills. You can see how this relates to what administrative assistant/supervisors do because "secretaries and administrative assistants interact with clients, customers, or staff." Additionally, an administrative assistant/supervisor resume shows how administrative assistant/supervisors use interpersonal skills: "displayed strong work ethic and superior interpersonal, customer service and communication skills. "

Organizational skills. Another essential skill to perform administrative assistant/supervisor duties is organizational skills. Administrative assistant/supervisors responsibilities require that "secretaries and administrative assistants keep files, folders, and schedules in order so that an office runs efficiently." Administrative assistant/supervisors also use organizational skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "composed memos, letters, presentations, spreadsheets, organizational charts; processed purchase orders; generated and submitted reports. "

Writing skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of administrative assistant/supervisors is writing skills. This skill is critical to many everyday administrative assistant/supervisor duties, as "secretaries and administrative assistants write memos and emails when communicating with managers, employees, and customers." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "provided high level of secretarial/administration support such as writing correspondence, responding to telephone calls and maintaining files. "

See the full list of administrative assistant/supervisor skills

Compare different administrative assistant/supervisors

Administrative assistant/supervisor vs. Manager's assistant/administrative assistant

A manager's assistant, or administrative assistant, is responsible for providing support to the management by performing administrative and clerical tasks as needed. Some of the administrative assistant's duties include receiving and responding to customer's inquiries and concerns through e-mail, phone calls, and personal visits, scheduling meetings or important events, generating operations reports, keeping records of the company's expenses, and monitoring office supplies. An administrative assistant must have exceptional work ethics and time-management skills, as well as the ability to multi-task to perform multiple tasks under minimal supervision.

If we compare the average administrative assistant/supervisor annual salary with that of a manager's assistant/administrative assistant, we find that managers's assistant/administrative assistant typically earn a $2,095 lower salary than administrative assistant/supervisors make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both administrative assistant/supervisor and manager's assistant/administrative assistant positions are skilled in customer service, front desk, and financial statements.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between administrative assistant/supervisors and manager's assistant/administrative assistant. For instance, administrative assistant/supervisor responsibilities require skills such as "payroll," "schedule appointments," "cpr," and "medicaid." Whereas a manager's assistant/administrative assistant is skilled in "financial reports," "loss prevention," "sales floor," and "inventory management." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Managers's assistant/administrative assistant earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $45,900. On the other hand, administrative assistant/supervisors are paid more in the finance industry with an average salary of $60,890.On average, managers's assistant/administrative assistant reach similar levels of education than administrative assistant/supervisors. Managers's assistant/administrative assistant are 1.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Administrative assistant/supervisor vs. Administrative staff

As the administrative staff, they primarily provide administrative and secretarial support for the department. Typically, they do report-writing, filing and scheduling, and payroll. They plan department weekly meetings, schedule conference calls, and work on solving administrative related concerns and issues. They do a complex task that involves multi-tasking from the preparation of department reports, analyzing data, and finding solutions. It is a requirement to be an experienced, collaborator, and trained cross-functional communicator. Moreover, other duties will include scheduling company-initiated activities, meetings, and events.

On average, administrative staff earn a $30,816 higher salary than administrative assistant/supervisors a year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Administrative assistant/supervisors and administrative staff both require similar skills like "payroll," "front desk," and "financial statements" to carry out their responsibilities.

Each career also uses different skills, according to real administrative assistant/supervisor resumes. While administrative assistant/supervisor responsibilities can utilize skills like "customer service," "schedule appointments," "cpr," and "computer system," administrative staff use skills like "personnel actions," "financial reports," "administrative functions," and "scheduling appointments."

On average, administrative staff earn a higher salary than administrative assistant/supervisors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, administrative staff earn the most pay in the professional industry with an average salary of $73,642. Whereas administrative assistant/supervisors have higher pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $60,890.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Administrative staff tend to reach similar levels of education than administrative assistant/supervisors. In fact, they're 4.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Administrative assistant/supervisor vs. Clerk's assistant/administrative assistant

A clerk's assistant/administrative assistant is responsible for supporting the company's operations and customers' needs by performing administrative and clerical duties as needed. Clerk's assistants/administrative assistants respond to customers' inquiries and concerns, acknowledging and processing orders, and posting their payments. They also sort company documents, manage office supply inventory, submit business transaction reports, schedule appointments, and operate office equipment. A clerk's assistant/administrative assistant must be very organized. They must also have excellent time-management and multitasking skills to perform office duties with high accuracy and efficiency under minimal supervision.

On average, clerks's assistant/administrative assistant earn lower salaries than administrative assistant/supervisors, with a $12,734 difference per year.Using the responsibilities included on administrative assistant/supervisors and clerks's assistant/administrative assistant resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "customer service," "front desk," and "financial statements.rdquo;

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, administrative assistant/supervisors are more likely to have skills like "payroll," "schedule appointments," "cpr," and "human resources." But a clerk's assistant/administrative assistant is more likely to have skills like "data entry," "financial reports," "scheduling appointments," and "provides administrative support."

Clerks's assistant/administrative assistant make a very good living in the government industry with an average annual salary of $37,752. On the other hand, administrative assistant/supervisors are paid the highest salary in the finance industry, with average annual pay of $60,890.Most clerks's assistant/administrative assistant achieve a similar degree level compared to administrative assistant/supervisors. For example, they're 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Administrative assistant/supervisor vs. Office manager/administrative assistant

An office manager, also known as an administrative ssistant, is responsible for overseeing the workflow in an office or department. An office manager's duties mostly revolve around performing clerical tasks, such as organizing and maintaining accurate schedules and documentation, obtaining office supplies and equipment, arranging meetings and appointments, preparing reports and evaluations, and handling calls and other forms of correspondence. Furthermore, an office manager serves as the contact person for different departments. Therefore it is crucial to maintain an active line of communication and coordination at all times.

Office managers/administrative assistant typically earn lower pay than administrative assistant/supervisors. On average, office managers/administrative assistant earn a $7,214 lower salary per year.According to resumes from administrative assistant/supervisors and office managers/administrative assistant, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "customer service," "front desk," and "financial statements. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. An administrative assistant/supervisor uses "payroll," "schedule appointments," "cpr," and "computer system." Office managers/administrative assistant are more likely to have duties that require skills in "data entry," "scheduling appointments," "office management," and "accounts receivables. "office managers/administrative assistant enjoy the best pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $39,721. For comparison, administrative assistant/supervisors earn the highest salary in the finance industry.The average resume of office managers/administrative assistant showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to administrative assistant/supervisors. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.2%.

Types of administrative assistant/supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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