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The differences between editorial assistants and general 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 a general assistant. Additionally, an editorial assistant has an average salary of $43,141, which is higher than the $37,718 average annual salary of a general assistant.
The top three skills for an editorial assistant include fact check, fiction and press releases. The most important skills for a general assistant are customer service, HR, and payroll.
| Editorial Assistant | General Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $43,141 | $37,718 |
| Hourly rate | $20.74 | $18.13 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 26,839 | 66,211 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
General Assistants are responsible for providing administrative assistance to department teams and executive management of an organization. Their duties include organizing meetings and event schedules, book meeting rooms, answer incoming phone calls, reply emails, and respond to queries. They are responsible for replenishing office supplies and undertaking clerical tasks such as printing, scanning, and photocopying. General Assistants also liaise with contractors and building managers to ensure maintenance work is handled promptly without inconvenience.
Editorial assistants and general assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Editorial Assistant | General Assistant | |
| Average salary | $43,141 | $37,718 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $53,000 | Between $22,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Denver, CO | Greenwich, CT |
| Highest paying state | Colorado | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Columbia University in the City of New York | Massachusetts General Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Government | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between an editorial assistant and a general assistant in terms of educational background:
| Editorial Assistant | General Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | English | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between editorial assistants' and general assistants' demographics:
| Editorial Assistant | General Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.7% Female, 72.3% | Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9% |
| 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, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |