Department assistant vs business administrative assistant

The differences between department assistants and business administrative 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 a business administrative assistant. Additionally, a department assistant has an average salary of $40,698, which is higher than the $38,994 average annual salary of a business administrative assistant.

The top three skills for a department assistant include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a business administrative assistant are powerpoint, data entry, and provides administrative support.

Department assistant vs business administrative assistant overview

	Department Assistant	Business Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary	$40,698	$38,994
Hourly rate	$19.57	$18.75
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	88,268	101,678
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
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 a business administrative assistant do?

A business administrative assistant is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support business functions and operations. Business administrative assistants manage day-to-day business transactions by responding to clients' emails and phone calls, greeting guests, filing and submitting reports, scheduling appointments and business travels, monitoring inventories, and sending out communications across the organization as needed. They also operate the data management system for customer and client information reference by following strict protocols and data protection procedures.

Department assistant vs business administrative assistant salary

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

	Department Assistant	Business Administrative Assistant
Average salary	$40,698	$38,994
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $67,000	Between $28,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Berkeley, CA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	California
Best paying company	Dorsey & Whitney	Goldman Sachs
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between department assistant and business administrative assistant education

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

	Department Assistant	Business Administrative Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Department assistant vs business administrative assistant demographics

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

	Department Assistant	Business Administrative Assistant
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0%	Male, 12.2% Female, 87.8%
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, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between department assistant and business administrative 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.

Business administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Manage special projects including creating PowerPoint presentations, providing budget information, and departmental planning.
Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
Process payments for vendors utilizing QuickBooks.
Design effective PowerPoint presentations/handouts, working closely with senior management.
Produce payroll reports, verify payroll and electronically submit for processing.
Reconcile bank statements with QuickBooks systems and ensure all transactions are properly document.

Department assistant vs business administrative assistant skills

Common department assistant skills

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

Common business administrative assistant skills

PowerPoint, 11%
Data Entry, 10%
Provides Administrative Support, 8%
Expense Reports, 8%
Purchase Orders, 5%
Financial Reports, 5%

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Department Assistant
Department Assistant vs Business Administrative Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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