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The differences between administrative supports and assistant paralegals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an administrative support, becoming an assistant paralegal takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an assistant paralegal has an average salary of $55,677, which is higher than the $37,692 average annual salary of an administrative support.
The top three skills for an administrative support include customer service, administrative tasks and data entry. The most important skills for an assistant paralegal are law firm, litigation, and paralegals.
| Administrative Support | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Yearly salary | $37,692 | $55,677 |
| Hourly rate | $18.12 | $26.77 |
| Growth rate | -8% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 114,480 | 6,331 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 50 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
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.
Assistant paralegals are legal professionals who plan, develop, and manage cases. The assistant paralegals collect and arrange evidence and legal documents for review by attorneys and case preparation. They draft correspondence, document responses, discoveries, and pleadings. It is their duty to analyze and either write or summarize reports so that attorneys can prepare for their trials. They contact and have a conference with their clients. Among the skills the paralegal assistant needs to possess include communication, writing, research, organization, and confidentiality.
Administrative supports and assistant paralegals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrative Support | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Average salary | $37,692 | $55,677 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $53,000 | Between $30,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | - |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | - |
| Best paying company | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between an administrative support and an assistant paralegal in terms of educational background:
| Administrative Support | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Political Science |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between administrative supports' and assistant paralegals' demographics:
| Administrative Support | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Average age | 50 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% | Male, 30.1% Female, 69.9% |
| 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, 8.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |