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Assistant vs general assistant

The differences between assistants and general 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 and a general assistant. Additionally, a general assistant has an average salary of $37,718, 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 a general assistant are customer service, HR, and payroll.

Assistant vs general assistant overview

AssistantGeneral Assistant
Yearly salary$37,363$37,718
Hourly rate$17.96$18.13
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs557,90066,211
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age5050
Years of experience22

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 a general assistant do?

General Assistants are responsible for providing administrative assistance to department teams and executive management of an organization. Their duties include organizing meetings and event schedules, book meeting rooms, answer incoming phone calls, reply emails, and respond to queries. They are responsible for replenishing office supplies and undertaking clerical tasks such as printing, scanning, and photocopying. General Assistants also liaise with contractors and building managers to ensure maintenance work is handled promptly without inconvenience.

Assistant vs general assistant salary

Assistants and general assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

AssistantGeneral Assistant
Average salary$37,363$37,718
Salary rangeBetween $16,000 And $82,000Between $22,000 And $64,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MAGreenwich, CT
Highest paying stateMassachusettsConnecticut
Best paying companyLatham & WatkinsMassachusetts General Hospital
Best paying industryEducationHospitality

Differences between assistant and general assistant education

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

AssistantGeneral Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Assistant vs general assistant demographics

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

AssistantGeneral Assistant
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 40.7% Female, 59.3%Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9%
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, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between assistant and general assistant 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.
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General assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage branches providing information technology support, logistics, training and operational support.
  • Improve and prepare visual presentation materials for executive-level meetings using PowerPoint.
  • Handle VIP arrangements, coordinate all interdepartmental meetings and correspondence, compile and produce reports for internal and external management.
  • Create personalization with customers through``Facebook"uploading various photos and upcoming events.
  • Maintain I9's and EEO's for multiple job units.
  • Schedule outside radiology testing, requesting prior authorization when necessary.
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Assistant vs general assistant skills

Common assistant skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Patient Care, 8%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Sales Floor, 5%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 3%
Common general assistant skills
  • Customer Service, 17%
  • HR, 12%
  • Payroll, 7%
  • General Assistance, 6%
  • Dental Procedures, 6%
  • General Maintenance, 5%

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