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The differences between administrative assistant/technicals and front desk 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/technical and a front desk administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant/technical has an average salary of $42,541, which is higher than the $33,037 average annual salary of a front desk administrative assistant.
The top three skills for an administrative assistant/technical include patients, data entry and powerpoint. The most important skills for a front desk administrative assistant are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Administrative Assistant/Technical | Front Desk Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $42,541 | $33,037 |
| Hourly rate | $20.45 | $15.88 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 122,180 | 95,732 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An administrative assistant/technical is primarily responsible for performing clerical and support tasks in a company, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. They must produce progress reports, process documentation, receive communication letters, manage schedules, and even greet visitors. There are also instances when an administrative assistant/technical has to answer calls and correspondence, respond to inquiries, address issues and concerns, and resolve them promptly and professionally. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions, coordinate with different departments, and adhere to the company's policies and regulations.
A front desk administrative assistant is responsible for performing administrative duties to support daily business functions and operations. Front desk administrative assistants assist guests, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and direct them to the appropriate personnel for their needs. They also monitor office inventories, write purchase requests, and distribute mails across the departments. A front desk administrative assistants review business and financial transactions to generate reports, update information on the company's database, and sort documents for reference.
Administrative assistant/technicals and front desk administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Assistant/Technical | Front Desk Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $42,541 | $33,037 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $58,000 | Between $27,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | Springfield, MA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Plante & Moran PLLC. | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Professional |
There are a few differences between an administrative assistant/technical and a front desk administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Assistant/Technical | Front Desk Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between administrative assistant/technicals' and front desk administrative assistants' demographics:
| Administrative Assistant/Technical | Front Desk Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0% | Male, 10.0% Female, 90.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |