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The differences between clerical/administrative assistants and front desk 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 clerical/administrative assistant and a front desk administrative assistant. Additionally, a front desk administrative assistant has an average salary of $33,037, 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 a front desk administrative assistant are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Clerical/Administrative Assistant | Front Desk Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $30,983 | $33,037 |
| Hourly rate | $14.90 | $15.88 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 56,261 | 95,732 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| 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.
A front desk administrative assistant is responsible for performing administrative duties to support daily business functions and operations. Front desk administrative assistants assist guests, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and direct them to the appropriate personnel for their needs. They also monitor office inventories, write purchase requests, and distribute mails across the departments. A front desk administrative assistants review business and financial transactions to generate reports, update information on the company's database, and sort documents for reference.
Clerical/administrative assistants and front desk administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clerical/Administrative Assistant | Front Desk Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $30,983 | $33,037 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $38,000 | Between $27,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Springfield, MA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | University of California | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a clerical/administrative assistant and a front desk administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Clerical/Administrative Assistant | Front Desk Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between clerical/administrative assistants' and front desk administrative assistants' demographics:
| Clerical/Administrative Assistant | Front Desk Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5% | Male, 10.0% Female, 90.0% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |