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The differences between administrative support assistants 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 support assistant and a front desk administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative support assistant has an average salary of $36,341, which is higher than the $33,037 average annual salary of a front desk 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 front desk administrative assistant are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Administrative Support Assistant | Front Desk Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $36,341 | $33,037 |
| Hourly rate | $17.47 | $15.88 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 118,512 | 95,732 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| 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.
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 support assistants and front desk administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Support Assistant | Front Desk Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $36,341 | $33,037 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $44,000 | Between $27,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | SeaTac, WA | Springfield, MA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Brookhaven National Laboratory | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between an administrative support assistant and a front desk administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Support Assistant | Front Desk Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between administrative support assistants' and front desk administrative assistants' demographics:
| Administrative Support Assistant | Front Desk Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.6% Female, 83.4% | Male, 10.0% Female, 90.0% |
| 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, 9.3% 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% |