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What does a data assistant do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
What does a data assistant do

A data assistant's role is to perform support tasks in data management procedures. Their responsibilities often revolve around coordinating with different departments to gather data, maintaining and updating databases, processing and organizing documentation, preparing progress reports, and analyzing data as needed. They may also participate in devising strategies to optimize data management operations. Furthermore, a data assistant must also monitor the operations of databases, performing regular maintenance checks, and reporting to the information technology department should there be any issues and concerns.

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Data assistant responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real data assistant resumes:

  • Create UNIX and LINUX shell scripts to automate data migration process.
  • Implement web crawlers in python with scrapy framework.
  • Serve as ETL lead to help the development stage take shape as quick as possible.
  • Work in collaboration with the systems administrators to troubleshoot and resolve RDBMS issues cause by common business network issues.
  • Utilize MATLAB to conduct calculations which have to take various factors into account that affect the way a pulsejet runs.
  • Research request and troubleshoot customer problems via multiple computer software.
  • Analyze and resolve errors within Salesforce's automate calculation system.
  • Perform system administrative and maintenance activities for sourcing teams in Salesforce.
  • Develop utilities using Java and Perl to facilitate laboratory research and financial record keeping.
  • Extract data from a variety of relational databases, manipulate, explore data using quantitative, statistical and visualization tools.
  • Retrieve EOB and UB images.
  • Develop expertise in complicate technical processes for executing laser printer and NCOA projects.

Data assistant skills and personality traits

We calculated that 14% of Data Assistants are proficient in Data Entry, Data Collection, and Patients. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Organizational skills.

We break down the percentage of Data Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Data Entry, 14%

    Created program-specific databases and instructed staff on data entry/editing/retrieval procedures using self-prepared documentation/oral presentation.

  • Data Collection, 10%

    Assisted in the data collection and data management of outcomes related to clinical data for patients within the Weight Management Program.

  • Patients, 9%

    Enrolled new patients into the study and sent out monthly reminder notices to CHOICE coordinators regarding missing data.

  • Data Management, 8%

    Assisted Clinical Data Coordinators with data management, statistical data analysis and a variety of data management functions.

  • Research Data, 6%

    Clarify inconsistencies with Clinical Study Team to ensure integrity and quality of research data.

  • Access Database, 6%

    Input STDAP vouchers into Access Database.

Most data assistants use their skills in "data entry," "data collection," and "patients" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential data assistant responsibilities here:

Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a data assistant to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "general office clerks often provide general information to company staff, customers, or the public." Data assistants often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "take customer requests for a chemical tracking database system using oracle sql and microsoft access. "

Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling data assistant duties is detail oriented. The role rewards competence in this skill because "general office clerks perform many clerical tasks that require attention to detail, such as preparing bills." According to a data assistant resume, here's how data assistants can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "entered clinical files with excellent attention to detail into sas computer program"

Organizational skills. This is an important skill for data assistants to perform their duties. For an example of how data assistant responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "general office clerks file and retrieve records." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a data assistant: "utilized organizational skills to consolidate data into quickbooks".

Most common data assistant skills

The three companies that hire the most data assistants are:

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Compare different data assistants

Data assistant vs. Secretary

Secretaries are employees who are responsible for many of the administrative needs of the office. They are usually assigned to executives or to a specific department. They manage schedules and appointments, often handling the calendar in the office. They are also responsible for keeping files organized, whether physical or digital copies. During office meetings, secretaries are in charge of documenting the minutes of the meeting and highlighting the action steps that need to be taken. They may also be assigned to check on concerned departments who need to present deliverables in the next office meeting.

We looked at the average data assistant salary and compared it with the wages of a secretary. Generally speaking, secretaries are paid $2,011 higher than data assistants per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both data assistant and secretary positions are skilled in administrative tasks, computer system, and front desk.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between data assistants and secretary. For instance, data assistant responsibilities require skills such as "data entry," "data collection," "patients," and "data management." Whereas a secretary is skilled in "customer service," "telephone calls," "payroll," and "scheduling appointments." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Secretaries really shine in the government industry with an average salary of $46,574. Comparatively, data assistants tend to make the most money in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $57,122.The education levels that secretaries earn slightly differ from data assistants. In particular, secretaries are 4.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a data assistant. Additionally, they're 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Data assistant vs. Office specialist

An office specialist is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the organization's daily operations. Office specialists must be highly organizational, as well as having excellent time-management skills to handle work units. They have duties including data entry procedures, greeting visitors, responding to customers' inquiries through phone calls and e-mails, and filing and sorting documents. Office specialists are responsible for creating meeting reports, scheduling appointments, evaluating financial statements, coordinating with other staff for event planning, and assisting the senior management with complex functions.

On average, office specialists earn a $954 lower salary than data assistants a year.A few skills overlap for data assistants and office specialists. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "data entry," "patients," and "administrative tasks. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, data assistant responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "data collection," "data management," "research data," and "access database." Meanwhile, an office specialist has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "office equipment," "phone calls," and "word processing." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

On average, office specialists earn a lower salary than data assistants. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, office specialists earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $37,752. Whereas data assistants have higher pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $57,122.In general, office specialists achieve similar levels of education than data assistants. They're 3.6% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Data assistant vs. Receptionist secretary

A receptionist secretary is responsible for providing the best customer service, as well as attending to the needs of existing and potential clients. Duties of a receptionist secretary include managing customer's inquiries and forwarding important calls to the appropriate department, performing administrative and clerical tasks, escalating high-level of client's concerns to the management, keeping the reception area clean, monitoring office supplies and request stocks as needed, and maintaining an organized record of meetings and events. A receptionist secretary must have strong communication and multi-tasking skills to handle workloads of daily operations.

On average, receptionist secretaries earn lower salaries than data assistants, with a $5,088 difference per year.Using the responsibilities included on data assistants and receptionist secretaries resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "data entry," "patients," and "administrative tasks.rdquo;

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, data assistants are more likely to have skills like "data collection," "data management," "research data," and "access database." But a receptionist secretary is more likely to have skills like "phone calls," "customer service," "telephone calls," and "appointment scheduling."

Receptionist secretaries earn the best pay in the government industry, where they command an average salary of $30,128. Data assistants earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $57,122.When it comes to education, receptionist secretaries tend to earn lower degree levels compared to data assistants. In fact, they're 6.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Data assistant vs. Business office associate

Business office associates are responsible for providing clerical and administrative support to the office staff for efficient and smooth operations of the office operations. They typically perform a number of tasks that include managing and entering data to spreadsheets and databases, organizing and maintaining files and documents, and assisting with bookkeeping activities. Additionally, they are responsible for managing work projects and overall office management, collaborating with other departments, and maintaining financial documents and customer information. Business office associates are also expected to oversee human resource activities such as handling of employment forms and administering health insurance.

Business office associates average a lower salary than the annual salary of data assistants. The difference is about $4,802 per year.According to resumes from data assistants and business office associates, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "data entry," "patients," and "hipaa. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A data assistant uses "data collection," "data management," "research data," and "access database." Business office associates are more likely to have duties that require skills in "multi-line phone system," "vehicle sales," "bank deposits," and "payable functions. "The average resume of business office associates showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to data assistants. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 3.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.3%.

Types of data assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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