Administrative technician vs administrative support specialist

The differences between administrative technicians and administrative support 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 technician and an administrative support specialist. Additionally, an administrative technician has an average salary of $41,290, which is higher than the $38,244 average annual salary of an administrative support specialist.

The top three skills for an administrative technician include customer service, data entry and patients. The most important skills for an administrative support specialist are customer service, data entry, and patients.

Administrative technician vs administrative support specialist overview

	Administrative Technician	Administrative Support Specialist
Yearly salary	$41,290	$38,244
Hourly rate	$19.85	$18.39
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	73,101	139,654
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	2	2

What does an administrative technician do?

Administrative technicians are employees who manage a variety of administrative tasks. They are in charge of sorting out mail, taking phone calls, and managing meeting room reservations. They work on the upkeep of files and records, office supplies, and admin systems. Administrative technicians are sometimes assigned to conduct research and devise ways to improve the efficiency of office operations. They assist administrative officers and managers in drafting policies and guidelines. Administrative technicians may also be assigned to create presentation materials and documentary requirements needed by the department.

What does an administrative support specialist do?

An administrative support specialist is an individual who is involved in the office management, clerical tasks, and back-office duties of an organization. To run the office smoothly, administrative support specialists must manage the purchasing and inventory of office supplies as well as schedule the maintenance of office equipment. They serve as a liaison for executives by screening incoming calls and emails, sorting mails, and setting appointments with employees, customers, and vendors. Administrative support specialists must also be able to draft memos and edit report proposals and other business documents.

Administrative technician vs administrative support specialist salary

Administrative technicians and administrative support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Administrative Technician	Administrative Support Specialist
Average salary	$41,290	$38,244
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $65,000	Between $29,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Connecticut
Best paying company	InfosysPublicService	King County
Best paying industry	Finance	Government

Differences between administrative technician and administrative support specialist education

There are a few differences between an administrative technician and an administrative support specialist in terms of educational background:

	Administrative Technician	Administrative Support Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Administrative technician vs administrative support specialist demographics

Here are the differences between administrative technicians' and administrative support specialists' demographics:

	Administrative Technician	Administrative Support Specialist
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0%	Male, 20.5% Female, 79.5%
Race ratio	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%	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%

Differences between administrative technician and administrative support specialist duties and responsibilities

Administrative technician example responsibilities.

Design and manage an innovative human capital and knowledge management information technology systems (e.g., PeopleSoft).
Manage after-hour phone consultations and create referral records for 2.2k patients while ensuring care continuity from civilian medical facilities.
Perform classroom instruction on Linux OS and database operations.
Utilize SharePoint to copy soft tokens into the appropriate agency's folder.
Build, maintain and support the company's Intranet portal system using SharePoint.
Set up PCs and laptops to any new employee for when they first arrive.

Administrative support specialist example responsibilities.

Create PowerPoint presentations, manage spreadsheet information/graphs and provide reports as necessary.
Participate in committee meetings by preparing minutes and presentation summaries, planning meeting agendas, and organizing and managing meeting logistics.
Assist SharePoint intranet creation and documentation.
Generate PowerPoint presentations for meetings and training.
Maintain and post unit documents utilizing SharePoint.
Maintain files on all division civilian personnel, submit accurate payroll sheets for assign civilian personnel.

Administrative technician vs administrative support specialist skills

Common administrative technician skills

Customer Service, 14%
Data Entry, 11%
Patients, 8%
Database Management, 5%
Payroll, 5%
Troubleshoot, 4%

Common administrative support specialist skills

Customer Service, 16%
Data Entry, 8%
Patients, 6%
PowerPoint, 5%
Administrative Functions, 4%
Office Equipment, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Administrative Technician
Administrative Technician vs Administrative Support Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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