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The differences between business administrative assistants and clerical/administrative assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a business administrative assistant and a clerical/administrative assistant. Additionally, a business administrative assistant has an average salary of $38,994, which is higher than the $30,983 average annual salary of a clerical/administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a business administrative assistant include powerpoint, data entry and provides administrative support. The most important skills for a clerical/administrative assistant are data entry, word processing, and payroll.
| Business Administrative Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $38,994 | $30,983 |
| Hourly rate | $18.75 | $14.90 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 101,678 | 56,261 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A business administrative assistant is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support business functions and operations. Business administrative assistants manage day-to-day business transactions by responding to clients' emails and phone calls, greeting guests, filing and submitting reports, scheduling appointments and business travels, monitoring inventories, and sending out communications across the organization as needed. They also operate the data management system for customer and client information reference by following strict protocols and data protection procedures.
An administrative assistant, also known as a secretary or office clerk, is someone who carries out daily clerical and administrative tasks. Admin assistants do a variety of tasks such as answering phone calls, organizing files, maintaining contacts, schedule meetings and appointments, and many more. Their task can be extensive, depending on the needs of operations and higher management. They serve as a gatekeeper of the company, so strong verbal and written communication skills are a must. They should also exhibit great organizational skills and time management since they act as the resource of the company.
Business administrative assistants and clerical/administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Administrative Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $38,994 | $30,983 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $54,000 | Between $24,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Goldman Sachs | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a business administrative assistant and a clerical/administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Business Administrative Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between business administrative assistants' and clerical/administrative assistants' demographics:
| Business Administrative Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.2% Female, 87.8% | Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.9% 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% |