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The differences between administrative assistant/technicals and office 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 an office assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant/technical has an average salary of $42,541, which is higher than the $31,517 average annual salary of an office assistant.
The top three skills for an administrative assistant/technical include patients, data entry and powerpoint. The most important skills for an office assistant are data entry, patients, and customer service.
| Administrative Assistant/Technical | Office Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $42,541 | $31,517 |
| Hourly rate | $20.45 | $15.15 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 122,180 | 103,293 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| 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.
Office assistants perform various tasks to ensure that the business runs organized and efficient. An office assistant must possess excellent communication and multi-tasking skills to handle essential duties such as scheduling meetings, monitoring office supplies, storing documents and necessary paperwork, handling customer inquiries and appointments, coordinating in company events, and accomplishing other clerical tasks and administrative support. Office assistants are also required to communicate any observation that would possibly make an impact on the company's performance.
Administrative assistant/technicals and office assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Assistant/Technical | Office Assistant | |
| Average salary | $42,541 | $31,517 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $58,000 | Between $24,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Plante & Moran PLLC. | Analysis Group |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Government |
There are a few differences between an administrative assistant/technical and an office assistant in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Assistant/Technical | Office Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between administrative assistant/technicals' and office assistants' demographics:
| Administrative Assistant/Technical | Office Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0% | Male, 17.3% Female, 82.7% |
| 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, 10.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 8.3% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |