Post job

Assistant vs associate

The differences between assistants and associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an associate has an average salary of $69,556, which is higher than the $37,363 average annual salary of an assistant.

The top three skills for an assistant include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for an associate are customer service, sales floor, and patients.

Assistant vs associate overview

AssistantAssociate
Yearly salary$37,363$69,556
Hourly rate$17.96$33.44
Growth rate-8%-
Number of jobs557,900569,041
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age5041
Years of experience2-

What does an assistant do?

An assistant intern is responsible for facilitating administrative and clerical tasks as assigned by the management. Assistant interns' duties include keeping records of meetings, receiving calls and handling customer inquiries, assisting on writing reports and data entry processing, cooperating and providing support for business events, and adhering to company policies and regulatory procedures. Successful assistant interns must have excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and communication skills. They must be a team player and fast-learner to handle various tasks in the corporate industry.

What does an associate do?

Associates are typically entry-level positions for employees who are taking on their first job or organizational role. They are assigned to teams or departments that are related to their skills or educational background. They usually start with smaller tasks that may not seem as impactful but are still essential to the department. Associates are trained by more tenured team members on the ins and outs of the department and the organization. As they grow with the organization, they are given more responsibilities that directly impact the results of the department's initiatives as they work towards their goals.

Assistant vs associate salary

Assistants and associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

AssistantAssociate
Average salary$37,363$69,556
Salary rangeBetween $16,000 And $82,000Between $34,000 And $140,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateMassachusettsNew York
Best paying companyLatham & WatkinsSimpson Thacher & Bartlett
Best paying industryEducation-

Differences between assistant and associate education

There are a few differences between an assistant and an associate in terms of educational background:

AssistantAssociate
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina University-

Assistant vs associate demographics

Here are the differences between assistants' and associates' demographics:

AssistantAssociate
Average age5041
Gender ratioMale, 40.7% Female, 59.3%Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage6%7%

Differences between assistant and associate duties and responsibilities

Assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage circulations, including educational textbooks and DVDS, video technology and supplies.
  • Manage branches providing information technology support, logistics, training and operational support.
  • Manage company's twitter account and communicate with multiple physical therapy providers around the country
  • Optimize productivity in prioritizing and managing special projects, PowerPoint presentations for classes, and proctore exams for undergraduate classes.
  • Assist in jewelry design and assembly, manage company Facebook page, participate in wholesale buying, and manage retail inventory
  • Manage and update company Facebook page with daily updates, finding/sharing relevant and interesting information, and encouraging fan engagement.
  • Show more

Associate example responsibilities.

  • Manage the sale of smoothies at different educational institutes while interacting with hundreds of students and ensuring their happiness and satisfaction.
  • Manage customer resolutions associate with flight reservations.
  • Lead the team by exemplify reliability through punctuality and personal integrity.
  • Help drive sales by providing excellent customer service in gourmet cheese, wine, beer, and coffee departments.
  • Utilize teamwork, communication, customer service, responsibility, and organizational skills.
  • Work according to ISO standards.
  • Show more

Assistant vs associate skills

Common assistant skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Patient Care, 8%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Sales Floor, 5%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 3%
Common associate skills
  • Customer Service, 16%
  • Sales Floor, 13%
  • Patients, 10%
  • Cleanliness, 8%
  • Windows, 4%
  • HR, 4%

Browse office and administrative jobs