Editorial assistant vs administrative assistant

The differences between editorial 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 an editorial assistant and an administrative assistant. Additionally, an editorial assistant has an average salary of $43,141, which is higher than the $34,945 average annual salary of an administrative assistant.

The top three skills for an editorial assistant include fact check, fiction and press releases. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.

Editorial assistant vs administrative assistant overview

	Editorial Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary	$43,141	$34,945
Hourly rate	$20.74	$16.80
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	26,839	65,769
Job satisfaction	-	4.14
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	2	2

What does an editorial assistant do?

An editorial assistant is primarily responsible for performing support-related tasks for an editor or editing staff. Most of the duties will be clerical such as writing content for print and media, answering calls and correspondence, responding to inquiries, running errands, and following directives from the editor. There are also instances when an editorial assistant must perform fact-checking or proofreading tasks, arrange appointments and travel documents, process paperwork, greet visitors, and even attend meetings and other work-related events.

What does an administrative assistant do?

Administrative assistants, or admin assistants, do general clerical and administrative activities. Their duties involve organizing and maintaining files and records, preparing documents, scheduling meetings and appointments, and providing general support in the office. Administrative assistants handle incoming and outgoing official correspondences, take minutes of important meetings and manage calls to the main office number. They also assist executives in providing structure to their day by managing their schedule, drafting e-mails, and other activities that executives may need assistance in. Administrative assistants should have the following skills: organizing, business writing, decision-making, and communication.

Editorial assistant vs administrative assistant salary

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

	Editorial Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Average salary	$43,141	$34,945
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $53,000	Between $26,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Denver, CO	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Colorado	California
Best paying company	Columbia University in the City of New York	Westfield State University
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between editorial assistant and administrative assistant education

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

	Editorial Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	English	Business
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Western Carolina University

Editorial assistant vs administrative assistant demographics

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

	Editorial Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 27.7% Female, 72.3%	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.8% 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 Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between editorial assistant and administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Editorial assistant example responsibilities.

Manage social media content using Hootsuite.
Manage Instagram account and promote content on all social media pages.
Manage resources of more than 30 CNN bureaus around the world.
Produce content for a locally known lifestyle blog, edit, and manage social media accounts such as Pinterest and Google+.
Contribute through blogging, copy editing, participating in weekly editorial meetings, and managing social channels
Lead editorial oversight of web and television viewer-submit text, email and online messages according to company and industry guidelines.

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.

Editorial assistant vs administrative assistant skills

Common editorial assistant skills

Fact Check, 7%
Fiction, 6%
Press Releases, 6%
Web Content, 5%
Editor-In-Chief, 5%
Twitter, 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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Editorial Assistant
Editorial Assistant vs Administrative Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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