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The differences between administrative supports and administrative office specialists 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 office specialist. Additionally, an administrative support has an average salary of $37,692, which is higher than the $35,177 average annual salary of an administrative office specialist.
The top three skills for an administrative support include customer service, administrative tasks and data entry. The most important skills for an administrative office specialist are customer service, data entry, and word processing.
| Administrative Support | Administrative Office Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $37,692 | $35,177 |
| Hourly rate | $18.12 | $16.91 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 114,480 | 96,945 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| 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.
An administrative office specialist helps offices to run efficiently and smoothly by performing clerical support tasks. Their responsibilities often include preparing and processing documents, arranging meetings and appointments, monitoring the budgets and expenditures, answering calls and correspondence, handling the inventory and procurement of office supplies, and developing strategies to optimize office operations. They may also address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and professionally. Furthermore, as an administrative office specialist, it is essential to coordinate staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Administrative supports and administrative office specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Support | Administrative Office Specialist | |
| Average salary | $37,692 | $35,177 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $53,000 | Between $28,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an administrative support and an administrative office specialist in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Support | Administrative Office Specialist | |
| 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 office specialists' demographics:
| Administrative Support | Administrative Office Specialist | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% | Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 4.0% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |