Department assistant vs front desk administrative assistant

The differences between department assistants and front desk 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 front desk administrative assistant. Additionally, a department assistant has an average salary of $40,698, which is higher than the $33,037 average annual salary of a front desk administrative assistant.

The top three skills for a department assistant include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a front desk administrative assistant are customer service, patients, and data entry.

Department assistant vs front desk administrative assistant overview

	Department Assistant	Front Desk Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary	$40,698	$33,037
Hourly rate	$19.57	$15.88
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	88,268	95,732
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
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 front desk administrative assistant do?

A front desk administrative assistant is responsible for performing administrative duties to support daily business functions and operations. Front desk administrative assistants assist guests, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and direct them to the appropriate personnel for their needs. They also monitor office inventories, write purchase requests, and distribute mails across the departments. A front desk administrative assistants review business and financial transactions to generate reports, update information on the company's database, and sort documents for reference.

Department assistant vs front desk administrative assistant salary

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

	Department Assistant	Front Desk Administrative Assistant
Average salary	$40,698	$33,037
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $67,000	Between $27,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Springfield, MA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Connecticut
Best paying company	Dorsey & Whitney	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between department assistant and front desk administrative assistant education

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

	Department Assistant	Front Desk Administrative Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Department assistant vs front desk administrative assistant demographics

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

	Department Assistant	Front Desk Administrative Assistant
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0%	Male, 10.0% Female, 90.0%
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, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between department assistant and front desk 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.

Front desk administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Manage day-to-day operations including scheduling and coordinating appointments, verify patient insurance, prepare correspondences between medical providers and their patients.
Process member and team member paperwork; including member cancellations, updates, new hires/terminations/status changes, and payroll paperwork.
Monitor and complete payroll information.
Demonstrate great initiative in assisting tech team with minor technical issues and create PowerPoint presentations for business strategic purposes.
Register patients, verify eligibility of insurance, interview them in order to obtain other demographic information that are needed.
Manage day-to-day operations including scheduling and coordinating appointments, verify patient insurance, prepare correspondences between medical providers and their patients.

Department assistant vs front desk administrative assistant skills

Common department assistant skills

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

Common front desk administrative assistant skills

Customer Service, 15%
Patients, 12%
Data Entry, 8%
Phone Calls, 8%
Front Desk Operations, 7%
Check-In, 4%

Department Assistant vs. similar jobs

Department Assistant related careers

Department Assistant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Department Assistant
Department Assistant vs Front Desk Administrative Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs