Department assistant vs assistant

The differences between department assistants and assistants 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 assistant. Additionally, a department assistant has an average salary of $40,698, which is higher than the $37,363 average annual salary of an assistant.

The top three skills for a department assistant include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for an assistant are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Department assistant vs assistant overview

	Department Assistant	Assistant
Yearly salary	$40,698	$37,363
Hourly rate	$19.57	$17.96
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	88,268	557,900
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	2	2

What does a department assistant do?

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.

What does an assistant do?

An assistant intern is responsible for facilitating administrative and clerical tasks as assigned by the management. Assistant interns' duties include keeping records of meetings, receiving calls and handling customer inquiries, assisting on writing reports and data entry processing, cooperating and providing support for business events, and adhering to company policies and regulatory procedures. Successful assistant interns must have excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and communication skills. They must be a team player and fast-learner to handle various tasks in the corporate industry.

Department assistant vs assistant salary

Department assistants and assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Department Assistant	Assistant
Average salary	$40,698	$37,363
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $67,000	Between $16,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Dorsey & Whitney	Latham & Watkins
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between department assistant and assistant education

There are a few differences between a department assistant and an assistant in terms of educational background:

	Department Assistant	Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Department assistant vs assistant demographics

Here are the differences between department assistants' and assistants' demographics:

	Department Assistant	Assistant
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0%	Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3%
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%

Differences between department assistant and assistant duties and responsibilities

Department assistant example responsibilities.

Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
Team player/adaptable HIPPA compliant, CPR certify.
Maintain and process Kronos time and attendance records for department employees.
Perform CPR and assist in critical care room with traumas and arrests.
Clean windows, glass partitions, or mirrors, using soapy water or other cleaners.
Prepare and submit time to Kronos system biweekly and Lawson swift maker schedule for staff.

Show more

Assistant example responsibilities.

Manage circulations, including educational textbooks and DVDS, video technology and supplies.
Manage branches providing information technology support, logistics, training and operational support.
Manage company's twitter account and communicate with multiple physical therapy providers around the country
Optimize productivity in prioritizing and managing special projects, PowerPoint presentations for classes, and proctore exams for undergraduate classes.
Assist in jewelry design and assembly, manage company Facebook page, participate in wholesale buying, and manage retail inventory
Manage and update company Facebook page with daily updates, finding/sharing relevant and interesting information, and encouraging fan engagement.

Show more

Department assistant vs assistant skills

Common department assistant skills

Patients, 15%
Customer Service, 15%
Data Entry, 8%
Word Processing, 6%
Purchase Orders, 5%
Payroll, 4%

Common assistant skills

Patients, 27%
Customer Service, 13%
Patient Care, 8%
CPR, 5%
Sales Floor, 5%
Scheduling Appointments, 3%

Department Assistant vs. similar jobs

Department Assistant related careers

Department Assistant related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z