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Departmental assistant vs administrative assistant

The differences between departmental assistants and 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 departmental assistant and an administrative assistant. Additionally, a departmental assistant has an average salary of $39,690, which is higher than the $34,945 average annual salary of an administrative assistant.

The top three skills for a departmental assistant include HR, chemistry and data analysis. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.

Departmental assistant vs administrative assistant overview

Departmental AssistantAdministrative Assistant
Yearly salary$39,690$34,945
Hourly rate$19.08$16.80
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs34,48065,769
Job satisfaction-4.14
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age5050
Years of experience22

Departmental assistant vs administrative assistant salary

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

Departmental AssistantAdministrative Assistant
Average salary$39,690$34,945
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $55,000Between $26,000 And $46,000
Highest paying CitySanta Barbara, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiCalifornia
Best paying companyUniversity of Massachusetts BostonWestfield State University
Best paying industryManufacturing-

Differences between departmental assistant and administrative assistant education

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

Departmental AssistantAdministrative Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityWestern Carolina University

Departmental assistant vs administrative assistant demographics

Here are the differences between departmental assistants' and administrative assistants' demographics:

Departmental AssistantAdministrative Assistant
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 29.5% Female, 70.5%Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between departmental assistant and administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Departmental assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
  • Input appointments into HRIS (HCM- PeopleSoft) and maintain all HRIS records; process student and limit payroll in
  • Attend various meetings, take dictation, write up and distribute minutes.
  • Process employee time and payroll - records, adjustments, travel and other reimbursable payments.
  • Create and curate social media presence of the department on Instagram, Facebook and Tumblr.
  • Tutor primarily engineering students in the subjects of engineering, physics, math, chemistry, and biology.
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Administrative assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage time and attendance using Kronos software for entire department.
  • Participate in national projects, manage new customer conversions to MCI from other carriers.
  • Manage FEDEX delivery requirements ensuring compliance with company policy.
  • Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
  • Manage company finances using QuickBooks software, including monitoring the operating budget and collecting on unpaid invoices.
  • Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
  • Show more

Departmental assistant vs administrative assistant skills

Common departmental assistant skills
  • HR, 20%
  • Chemistry, 19%
  • Data Analysis, 12%
  • Word Processing, 9%
  • Routine Correspondence, 6%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 4%
Common administrative assistant skills
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Data Entry, 11%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
  • Travel Arrangements, 5%
  • Database Management, 5%
  • Word Processing, 5%

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