Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between administrative support assistants and clerical/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 support assistant and a clerical/administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative support assistant has an average salary of $36,341, which is higher than the $30,983 average annual salary of a clerical/administrative assistant.
The top three skills for an administrative support assistant include customer service, provides administrative support and data entry. The most important skills for a clerical/administrative assistant are data entry, word processing, and payroll.
| Administrative Support Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $36,341 | $30,983 |
| Hourly rate | $17.47 | $14.90 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 118,512 | 56,261 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Administrative support assistants are individuals who provide support to employees and managers. They provide assistance in general functions in various administrative or academic units. Their primary duties involve the management and dissemination of information within an organization. They take memos, maintain files, and answer phone calls. They should develop skills in technology, written and verbal communication, independence, and organization. Excellent skills in problem-solving, time management, and attention to detail are also important.
An administrative assistant, also known as a secretary or office clerk, is someone who carries out daily clerical and administrative tasks. Admin assistants do a variety of tasks such as answering phone calls, organizing files, maintaining contacts, schedule meetings and appointments, and many more. Their task can be extensive, depending on the needs of operations and higher management. They serve as a gatekeeper of the company, so strong verbal and written communication skills are a must. They should also exhibit great organizational skills and time management since they act as the resource of the company.
Administrative support assistants and clerical/administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Support Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $36,341 | $30,983 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $44,000 | Between $24,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | SeaTac, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | Brookhaven National Laboratory | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between an administrative support assistant and a clerical/administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Support Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between administrative support assistants' and clerical/administrative assistants' demographics:
| Administrative Support Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.6% Female, 83.4% | Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |