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The differences between contracting officers and administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an administrator has an average salary of $72,882, which is higher than the $60,007 average annual salary of a contracting officer.
The top three skills for a contracting officer include contractor proposals, contract administration and contract management. The most important skills for an administrator are customer service, data entry, and troubleshoot.
| Contracting Officer | Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $60,007 | $72,882 |
| Hourly rate | $28.85 | $35.04 |
| Growth rate | - | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 59,896 | 67,553 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
In government agencies, a Contracting Officer plays a vital role in securing contracts for different projects. They are responsible for liaising with internal and external parties, conducting research and analyses, developing plans to attain project requirements, negotiating contracts, and procuring materials according to standards. They are also responsible for supervising the administrative processes related to the deals, from planning to execution, ensuring that everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Moreover, it is essential to function as a contracting officer while adhering to government policies and regulations.
Administrators are administrative professionals who oversee the whole office or department. They manage office activities and supervise administrative functions in the office. They work the office calendar and oversee the appointment-setting process. They coordinate office events and ensure that all preparations are made and that there are no conflicting schedules. They also maintain a database of external providers of various office needs. Administrators also oversee office supplies and prepare purchase requisitions. They also manage janitorial services and other functions that are related to the maintenance of the physical office space. Administrators ensure that all fixtures and equipment in the office are functioning well and have no problems.
Contracting officers and administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contracting Officer | Administrator | |
| Average salary | $60,007 | $72,882 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $95,000 | Between $46,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Washington |
| Best paying company | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Government | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a contracting officer and an administrator in terms of educational background:
| Contracting Officer | Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between contracting officers' and administrators' demographics:
| Contracting Officer | Administrator | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3% | Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |