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The differences between business assistants and executive assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a business assistant, becoming an executive assistant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an executive assistant has an average salary of $50,539, which is higher than the $42,247 average annual salary of a business assistant.
The top three skills for a business assistant include customer service, patients and data entry. The most important skills for an executive assistant are powerpoint, customer service, and phone calls.
| Business Assistant | Executive Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $42,247 | $50,539 |
| Hourly rate | $20.31 | $24.30 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 98,348 | 93,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 50 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A business assistant is responsible for supporting various office functions, performing administrative and clerical duties to ensure efficient and smooth business operations, and provide high-quality services to the customers and business partners. Business assistants handle data processing procedures, writing business transaction reports, and coordinating with suppliers and third-party vendors for any requests made by the company. They welcome visitors, verify their appointments, and direct them to the appropriate personnel or department for their business concerns. A business assistant also schedules a meeting, assist in accounting and human resources tasks, and support the executives on corporate decisions.
Executive assistants are employees who are assigned to work under the supervision of company executives. They manage the activities of the executives they are assigned to by manning the executive's calendar, scheduling appointments, setting meetings, ensuring that the executives are familiar with their schedule for the day, and taking note of any deliverable that may be needed. They are also responsible for taking care of any document or paperwork that the executive needs, as well as preparing presentation materials or briefers for meetings. Executive assistants are also usually exposed to actual company operations to further understand how the business works and to be of better help to the executive.
Business assistants and executive assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Assistant | Executive Assistant | |
| Average salary | $42,247 | $50,539 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $60,000 | Between $35,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | New York |
| Best paying company | Whitney Museum of American Art | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a business assistant and an executive assistant in terms of educational background:
| Business Assistant | Executive Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between business assistants' and executive assistants' demographics:
| Business Assistant | Executive Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9% | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 10% |