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The differences between clerical/administrative assistants and administrative staff can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a clerical/administrative assistant and an administrative staff. Additionally, an administrative staff has an average salary of $77,101, which is higher than the $30,983 average annual salary of a clerical/administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a clerical/administrative assistant include data entry, word processing and payroll. The most important skills for an administrative staff are telephone calls, word processing, and travel arrangements.
| Clerical/Administrative Assistant | Administrative Staff | |
| Yearly salary | $30,983 | $77,101 |
| Hourly rate | $14.90 | $37.07 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 56,261 | 119,030 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
As the administrative staff, they primarily provide administrative and secretarial support for the department. Typically, they do report-writing, filing and scheduling, and payroll. They plan department weekly meetings, schedule conference calls, and work on solving administrative related concerns and issues. They do a complex task that involves multi-tasking from the preparation of department reports, analyzing data, and finding solutions. It is a requirement to be an experienced, collaborator, and trained cross-functional communicator. Moreover, other duties will include scheduling company-initiated activities, meetings, and events.
Clerical/administrative assistants and administrative staff have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clerical/Administrative Assistant | Administrative Staff | |
| Average salary | $30,983 | $77,101 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $38,000 | Between $58,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | University of California | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a clerical/administrative assistant and an administrative staff in terms of educational background:
| Clerical/Administrative Assistant | Administrative Staff | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between clerical/administrative assistants' and administrative staff' demographics:
| Clerical/Administrative Assistant | Administrative Staff | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5% | Male, 31.9% Female, 68.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |