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The differences between administrative supports and 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 and an administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative support has an average salary of $37,692, which is higher than the $34,945 average annual salary of an administrative assistant.
The top three skills for an administrative support include customer service, administrative tasks and data entry. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.
| Administrative Support | Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $37,692 | $34,945 |
| Hourly rate | $18.12 | $16.80 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 114,480 | 65,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.14 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Administrative support specialists provide different types of governmental assistance. They carry out varied clerical duties in almost all industries. Most of these duties revolve around supervising and distributing information within an organization. This typically includes taking memos, answering phone calls, and managing, storing, and organizing files. They are also responsible for receiving and sending correspondence and greeting customers and clients. Some administrative support may be required to have vast professional knowledge as their duties are more specialized than the others.
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 supports and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Support | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $37,692 | $34,945 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $53,000 | Between $26,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | Westfield State University |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between an administrative support and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Support | Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between administrative supports' and administrative assistants' demographics:
| Administrative Support | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 6% | 6% |