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The differences between executive assistants and personal assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an executive assistant, becoming a personal assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an executive assistant has an average salary of $50,539, which is higher than the $40,026 average annual salary of a personal assistant.
The top three skills for an executive assistant include powerpoint, customer service and phone calls. The most important skills for a personal assistant are run errands, companionship, and scheduling appointments.
| Executive Assistant | Personal Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $50,539 | $40,026 |
| Hourly rate | $24.30 | $19.24 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 93,116 | 21,638 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.4 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Executive assistants are employees who are assigned to work under the supervision of company executives. They manage the activities of the executives they are assigned to by manning the executive's calendar, scheduling appointments, setting meetings, ensuring that the executives are familiar with their schedule for the day, and taking note of any deliverable that may be needed. They are also responsible for taking care of any document or paperwork that the executive needs, as well as preparing presentation materials or briefers for meetings. Executive assistants are also usually exposed to actual company operations to further understand how the business works and to be of better help to the executive.
Personal assistants are employees working for individuals who need help in managing their personal affairs. Personal assistants manage the daily activities of their employers. They are in charge of managing their employer's schedules and appointments, often coordinating their meetings and orienting them on their schedule at the start of the day. They also arrange travel needs, from looking for travel tickets to booking accommodations. When they have built enough trust with their employer, they are entrusted to also manage personal financial accounts and are often given access to other confidential information related to the employer.
Executive assistants and personal assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Executive Assistant | Personal Assistant | |
| Average salary | $50,539 | $40,026 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $71,000 | Between $26,000 And $60,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Real Estate |
There are a few differences between an executive assistant and a personal assistant in terms of educational background:
| Executive Assistant | Personal Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between executive assistants' and personal assistants' demographics:
| Executive Assistant | Personal Assistant | |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% | Male, 19.3% Female, 80.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 7.4% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 12% |