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The differences between college assistants and 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 college assistant and an administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant has an average salary of $34,945, which is higher than the $29,899 average annual salary of a college assistant.
The top three skills for a college assistant include cleanliness, english language and customer service. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.
| College Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $29,899 | $34,945 |
| Hourly rate | $14.37 | $16.80 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 41,273 | 65,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.14 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A college assistant is responsible for administrative, clerical, and research work in educational institutions. Your day-to-day duties may vary but typically include answering telephone calls, maintaining records such as rosters and inventory control records, and ordering office supplies and equipment. In addition, you will be responsible for assisting in research activities by collecting and compiling data, performing data entry, and preparing reports. Other duties include providing assistance in instructional programs, processing expenses, and purchasing reports, and advertising various events through social media.
Administrative assistants, or admin assistants, do general clerical and administrative activities. Their duties involve organizing and maintaining files and records, preparing documents, scheduling meetings and appointments, and providing general support in the office. Administrative assistants handle incoming and outgoing official correspondences, take minutes of important meetings and manage calls to the main office number. They also assist executives in providing structure to their day by managing their schedule, drafting e-mails, and other activities that executives may need assistance in. Administrative assistants should have the following skills: organizing, business writing, decision-making, and communication.
College assistants and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| College Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $29,899 | $34,945 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $38,000 | Between $26,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Haven, CT | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Westfield State University |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a college assistant and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| College Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between college assistants' and administrative assistants' demographics:
| College Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.1% Female, 59.9% | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |