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The differences between department assistants and human resources administrative assistants 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 a human resources administrative assistant takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a department assistant has an average salary of $40,698, which is higher than the $37,044 average annual salary of a human resources administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a department assistant include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a human resources administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and background checks.
| Department Assistant | Human Resources Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $40,698 | $37,044 |
| Hourly rate | $19.57 | $17.81 |
| Growth rate | -8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 88,268 | 72,861 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 50 | 41 |
| 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.
A human resources administrative assistant is responsible for performing administrative tasks such as gathering and processing necessary documentation, preparing timely reports and evaluations, arranging schedules, maintaining and monitoring record databases, and responding to inquiries. Aside from assisting human resource officers in their tasks, they can also lend a hand in screening and training new workforce members. Furthermore, because a human resources administrative assistant holds the employee database, they need to coordinate with other departments and employees to ensure that everyone receives what is needed.
Department assistants and human resources administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Department Assistant | Human Resources Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $40,698 | $37,044 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $67,000 | Between $27,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Dorsey & Whitney | Emory University |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a department assistant and a human resources administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Department Assistant | Human Resources Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between department assistants' and human resources administrative assistants' demographics:
| Department Assistant | Human Resources Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0% | Male, 9.3% Female, 90.7% |
| 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, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 7.7% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |