Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between department assistants and assistant managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a department assistant, becoming an assistant manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a department assistant has an average salary of $40,698, which is higher than the $39,127 average annual salary of an assistant manager.
The top three skills for a department assistant include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for an assistant manager are paperwork, cleanliness, and customer service.
| Department Assistant | Assistant Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $40,698 | $39,127 |
| Hourly rate | $19.57 | $18.81 |
| Growth rate | -8% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 88,268 | 566,132 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Average age | 50 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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 assistant manager provides assistance and support to the direct manager in ensuring that the business runs smoothly with guaranteed satisfaction. An associate manager helps organize daily projects and manages employees to make sure that tasks are being done in a timely and accurate manner. Assistant managers are also expected to develop a good relationship with the whole workforce and clients to contribute to a successful and healthy workplace. An assistant manager is also required to present practical strategies for business growth, monitor daily operations, and communicate with clients for any possible suggestions and complaints.
Department assistants and assistant managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Department Assistant | Assistant Manager | |
| Average salary | $40,698 | $39,127 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $67,000 | Between $23,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Dorsey & Whitney | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a department assistant and an assistant manager in terms of educational background:
| Department Assistant | Assistant Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between department assistants' and assistant managers' demographics:
| Department Assistant | Assistant Manager | |
| Average age | 50 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0% | Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0% |
| 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 10% |