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The differences between department assistants and administrative receptionists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a department assistant and an administrative receptionist. Additionally, a department assistant has an average salary of $40,698, which is higher than the $31,502 average annual salary of an administrative receptionist.
The top three skills for a department assistant include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for an administrative receptionist are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Department Assistant | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Yearly salary | $40,698 | $31,502 |
| Hourly rate | $19.57 | $15.15 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 88,268 | 91,892 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A department assistant is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support and ensure the smooth operations of an entire department. Department assistants manage meeting calendars, book travel appointments, assist with company events, respond to clients' inquiries and requests through phone calls or personal visits, update customer records, organize electronic files, create business proposals, and monitor supplies. A department assistant must have excellent organizational and communication skills, as well as the ability to multitask under minimal supervision.
An administrative receptionist is responsible for performing administrative tasks, handling visitors' inquiries and concerns, verifying appointments, and leading them to the appropriate personnel and department, as well as handling and routing calls. Administrative receptionists also keep records of the staff meeting and executive conference, including company and promotional events. They receive packages and mail, sort documents, manage office supply inventories, create incident reports, and report suspicious guests within the premises. An administrative receptionist must have excellent communication and customer service skills, especially on resolving and escalating complaints.
Department assistants and administrative receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Department Assistant | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Average salary | $40,698 | $31,502 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $67,000 | Between $25,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Washington |
| Best paying company | Dorsey & Whitney | Beacon Hill Staffing Group |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a department assistant and an administrative receptionist in terms of educational background:
| Department Assistant | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between department assistants' and administrative receptionists' demographics:
| Department Assistant | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0% | Male, 8.0% Female, 92.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |