Customer service representative vs administrative assistant

The differences between customer service representatives and administrative assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a customer service representative, becoming an administrative assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an administrative assistant has an average salary of $34,945, which is higher than the $32,260 average annual salary of a customer service representative.

The top three skills for a customer service representative include cleanliness, POS and data entry. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.

Customer service representative vs administrative assistant overview

	Customer Service Representative	Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary	$32,260	$34,945
Hourly rate	$15.51	$16.80
Growth rate	-4%	-8%
Number of jobs	209,515	65,769
Job satisfaction	4	4.14
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	40	50
Years of experience	12	2

What does a customer service representative do?

Customer service representatives are the first point of contact of the customers, acting as the frontiers of the company and help in driving customer loyalty and retention by leaving a great impression and resolving all of their concerns. They accommodate customer queries by providing useful and comprehensive information about any products or services. Some would use that as an opportunity to market and promote more sales. The most challenging issues they use to handle are customer complaints and processing of refunds and returns. They also assist in basic troubleshooting or accounts and payment setup with the use of specific guidelines or step by step procedures. At most, they help and solve customer issues on their own, but sometimes they would need support from supervisors or other departments.

What does an administrative assistant do?

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.

Customer service representative vs administrative assistant salary

Customer service representatives and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Customer Service Representative	Administrative Assistant
Average salary	$32,260	$34,945
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Des Moines, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Oracle	Westfield State University
Best paying industry	Insurance	-

Differences between customer service representative and administrative assistant education

There are a few differences between a customer service representative and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:

	Customer Service Representative	Administrative Assistant
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	Western Carolina University

Customer service representative vs administrative assistant demographics

Here are the differences between customer service representatives' and administrative assistants' demographics:

	Customer Service Representative	Administrative Assistant
Average age	40	50
Gender ratio	Male, 30.5% Female, 69.5%	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.0% 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	7%	6%

Differences between customer service representative and administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Customer service representative example responsibilities.

Manage and plan escalations; assure HIPPA guidelines are followed for confidentially and privacy.
Maintain cleanliness and safety and assist patients as necessary.
Operate POS system and maintain exceptional and consistent customer service.
Exercise proofreading and basic math skills to maintain quality control over documents process
Work in customer service department entering information into customer relationship management (CRM).
Develop highly empathetic client relationships and earn reputation for exceeding good customer service rep goals.

Administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Manage time and attendance using Kronos software for entire department.
Participate in national projects, manage new customer conversions to MCI from other carriers.
Manage FEDEX delivery requirements ensuring compliance with company policy.
Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
Manage company finances using QuickBooks software, including monitoring the operating budget and collecting on unpaid invoices.
Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.

Customer service representative vs administrative assistant skills

Common customer service representative skills

Cleanliness, 10%
POS, 7%
Data Entry, 6%
Sales Floor, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Home Health, 5%

Common administrative assistant skills

Customer Service, 14%
Data Entry, 11%
PowerPoint, 6%
Travel Arrangements, 5%
Database Management, 5%
Word Processing, 5%

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Customer Service Representative
Customer Service Representative vs Administrative Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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