Administrative supervisor vs administrative assistant

The differences between administrative supervisors and administrative assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an administrative supervisor, becoming an administrative assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an administrative supervisor has an average salary of $52,656, which is higher than the $34,945 average annual salary of an administrative assistant.

The top three skills for an administrative supervisor include patient care, patients and customer service. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.

Administrative supervisor vs administrative assistant overview

	Administrative Supervisor	Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary	$52,656	$34,945
Hourly rate	$25.32	$16.80
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	58,242	65,769
Job satisfaction	-	4.14
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	47	50
Years of experience	6	2

What does an administrative supervisor do?

An administrative supervisor performs various administrative tasks for an organization. These include supervising administrative personnel and office managers, ensuring the smooth and effective management of the company's day-to-day business operations, and organizing training. Additionally, an administrative supervisor is expected to participate in the recruitment of administrative staff and evaluate their performance to ensure their ongoing success. Most employers look to hire someone with strong decision-making skills, relevant industry experience, and in-depth knowledge of policies and terminology.

What does an administrative assistant do?

Administrative assistants, or admin assistants, do general clerical and administrative activities. Their duties involve organizing and maintaining files and records, preparing documents, scheduling meetings and appointments, and providing general support in the office. Administrative assistants handle incoming and outgoing official correspondences, take minutes of important meetings and manage calls to the main office number. They also assist executives in providing structure to their day by managing their schedule, drafting e-mails, and other activities that executives may need assistance in. Administrative assistants should have the following skills: organizing, business writing, decision-making, and communication.

Administrative supervisor vs administrative assistant salary

Administrative supervisors and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Administrative Supervisor	Administrative Assistant
Average salary	$52,656	$34,945
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $77,000	Between $26,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	San Mateo, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	Calamos Investments	Westfield State University
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between administrative supervisor and administrative assistant education

There are a few differences between an administrative supervisor and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:

	Administrative Supervisor	Administrative Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	Western Carolina University

Administrative supervisor vs administrative assistant demographics

Here are the differences between administrative supervisors' and administrative assistants' demographics:

	Administrative Supervisor	Administrative Assistant
Average age	47	50
Gender ratio	Male, 32.7% Female, 67.3%	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between administrative supervisor and administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Administrative supervisor example responsibilities.

Restructure, decentralize payroll and purchasing; achieve more productive use of headquarters staff; assume increased responsibilities without staff additions.
Delegated/Assign, review and evaluate work assignments, administer performance evaluations, approve payroll, facilitate team meetings/individual meetings, etc.
Scan and accurately attach respective laboratory test results to EMR system.
Enter patient demographics, personal details and insurance information into Medisoft EMR program.
Back office duties include taking vitals, perform EKGs, injections, phlebotomy, vaccines and assisting in minor procedures.
Create PowerPoint presentations to be present to company CEO of international company.

Administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Manage time and attendance using Kronos software for entire department.
Participate in national projects, manage new customer conversions to MCI from other carriers.
Manage FEDEX delivery requirements ensuring compliance with company policy.
Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
Manage company finances using QuickBooks software, including monitoring the operating budget and collecting on unpaid invoices.
Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.

Administrative supervisor vs administrative assistant skills

Common administrative supervisor skills

Patient Care, 22%
Patients, 21%
Customer Service, 10%
Office Procedures, 7%
Payroll, 6%
HIPAA, 3%

Common administrative assistant skills

Customer Service, 14%
Data Entry, 11%
PowerPoint, 6%
Travel Arrangements, 5%
Database Management, 5%
Word Processing, 5%

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Administrative Supervisor
Administrative Supervisor vs Administrative Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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