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The differences between communication assistants and program assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a communication assistant and a program assistant. Additionally, a program assistant has an average salary of $35,193, which is higher than the $32,824 average annual salary of a communication assistant.
The top three skills for a communication assistant include customer service, web content and administrative tasks. The most important skills for a program assistant are patients, customer service, and data entry.
| Communication Assistant | Program Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $32,824 | $35,193 |
| Hourly rate | $15.78 | $16.92 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 14,878 | 96,901 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A communication assistant is responsible for publishing content and analyzing brainstorming ideas to create an engaging publication. Communication assistants' duties include posting newsletters, spreading company updates through bulletin boards or digital contents, managing the organization's press release and media coverage, monitoring social media presence, developing strategic communication procedures with the team, and researching trends. They also perform administrative tasks as needed. A communication assistant must have excellent communication skills, both in writing and speaking, especially when interacting with a large group or writing content duties.
Program assistants are usually entry-level or junior employees assigned to a department that handles a specific program in the organization. They assist the team they are assigned to in the implementation of the programs. They usually take care of administrative or clerical activities while also getting exposure to actual program management. Program assistants get trained to handle agendas from inception, to sourcing, to implementation, to evaluation. They may also handle documentary support for business cases or other presentation materials that the team may need for a specific part of the program management cycle.
Communication assistants and program assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communication Assistant | Program Assistant | |
| Average salary | $32,824 | $35,193 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $47,000 | Between $27,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | The Aspen Institute | |
| Best paying industry | Education | Government |
There are a few differences between a communication assistant and a program assistant in terms of educational background:
| Communication Assistant | Program Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between communication assistants' and program assistants' demographics:
| Communication Assistant | Program Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.8% Female, 65.2% | Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 7.6% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% | Black or African American, 13.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 6.7% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |