Assistant director of administration vs project assistant

The differences between assistant directors of administration and project 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 assistant director of administration and a project assistant. Additionally, an assistant director of administration has an average salary of $77,131, which is higher than the $38,564 average annual salary of a project assistant.

The top three skills for an assistant director of administration include oversight, human resources and powerpoint. The most important skills for a project assistant are data entry, powerpoint, and customer service.

Assistant director of administration vs project assistant overview

	Assistant Director Of Administration	Project Assistant
Yearly salary	$77,131	$38,564
Hourly rate	$37.08	$18.54
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	35,006	59,664
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	2	2

What does an assistant director of administration do?

An assistant director of administration works together with the director to oversee and coordinate daily business operations. Being an assistant director, they are responsible for supervising departments, gathering and analyzing reports and data, performing research and analyses, establishing timelines and guidelines, and participating in implementing goals. They must also monitor the workflow and resolve issues should any arise. Moreover, they encourage staff to reach goals and serve as a role model, all while enforcing and promoting the company's policies and regulations.

What does a project assistant do?

A project assistant's role mainly revolves around assisting a project manager. The responsibilities may vary upon the industry or organization. Still, most of them will be administrative tasks such as preparing reports and documentation, responding to calls and other forms of correspondence, and coordinating with various offices and personnel. Furthermore, a Project Assistant must also ensure the department's efficient workflow, proper utilization of budget, review documentation and schedules, attend meetings, and maintain an information database.

Assistant director of administration vs project assistant salary

Assistant directors of administration and project assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Assistant Director Of Administration	Project Assistant
Average salary	$77,131	$38,564
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $109,000	Between $25,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Oregon
Best paying company	Harvard University	AstraZeneca
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between assistant director of administration and project assistant education

There are a few differences between an assistant director of administration and a project assistant in terms of educational background:

	Assistant Director Of Administration	Project Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Western Carolina University

Assistant director of administration vs project assistant demographics

Here are the differences between assistant directors of administration' and project assistants' demographics:

	Assistant Director Of Administration	Project Assistant
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%	Male, 32.9% Female, 67.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 3.9% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between assistant director of administration and project assistant duties and responsibilities

Assistant director of administration example responsibilities.

Manage fiscal functions, including budget oversight and responses to regulatory agencies.
Manage domestic and international travel arrangements including transportation, lodging, and logistics for individuals and groups utilizing travel management systems.
Tabulate accounts receivable/payable; coordinate scheduling and payroll.
Enter direct deposits, calculate benefits withholding, payroll deductions and garnishments.
Provide oversight to facility department heads and supervisors on policies/procedures, and department budgets.
Manage domestic and international travel arrangements including transportation, lodging, and logistics for individuals and groups utilizing travel management systems.

Project assistant example responsibilities.

Manage SharePoint document repository and ensure that project managers comply with PMO policies.
Manage facilities by coordinating relocation of departments by using the facilities management database and VISIO.
Compose and balance departmental grants, tabulate and process payroll distribution, manage and maintain office routine during supervisor's absence.
Manage QA budget for assign projects by identifying actual and potential budget over-runs and under-runs, develop and monitor project/program plans.
Create a useful project tracking tool call JIRA.
Communicate with donors via phone, email, and twitter.

Assistant director of administration vs project assistant skills

Common assistant director of administration skills

Oversight, 11%
Human Resources, 9%
PowerPoint, 8%
Office Equipment, 8%
Payroll, 7%
Patient Care, 5%

Common project assistant skills

Data Entry, 11%
PowerPoint, 8%
Customer Service, 8%
Project Management, 8%
Meeting Minutes, 4%
Data Collection, 4%

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Assistant Director Of Administration
Assistant Director Of Administration vs Project Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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