Executive office assistant vs department assistant

The differences between executive office assistants and department 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 office assistant, becoming a department assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an executive office assistant has an average salary of $44,374, which is higher than the $40,698 average annual salary of a department assistant.

The top three skills for an executive office assistant include powerpoint, expense reports and payroll. The most important skills for a department assistant are patients, customer service, and data entry.

Executive office assistant vs department assistant overview

	Executive Office Assistant	Department Assistant
Yearly salary	$44,374	$40,698
Hourly rate	$21.33	$19.57
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	134,275	88,268
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	49	50
Years of experience	4	2

What does an executive office assistant do?

An executive office assistant is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to assist the senior executives with their business needs and concerns. Executive office assistants take phone calls on behalf of the executives, respond to clients' inquiries and concerns through electronic communication, schedule appointments, arrange business travels, support the executives in corporate meetings, review business transactions, and organize office documents. They also perform market research and data analysis for reference and act as a liaison between the employees and senior management.

What does a department assistant do?

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.

Executive office assistant vs department assistant salary

Executive office assistants and department assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Executive Office Assistant	Department Assistant
Average salary	$44,374	$40,698
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $67,000	Between $24,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Santa Cruz, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Goldman Sachs	Dorsey & Whitney
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between executive office assistant and department assistant education

There are a few differences between an executive office assistant and a department assistant in terms of educational background:

	Executive Office Assistant	Department Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Executive office assistant vs department assistant demographics

Here are the differences between executive office assistants' and department assistants' demographics:

	Executive Office Assistant	Department Assistant
Average age	49	50
Gender ratio	Male, 22.6% Female, 77.4%	Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0%
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, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	10%	6%

Differences between executive office assistant and department assistant duties and responsibilities

Executive office assistant example responsibilities.

Create and manage all listings on the MLS as well as all websites in regard to advertising.
Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.
Support executive and director levels including travel arrangements, detailing agendas, expense reports and PowerPoint presentations.
Charge with accountability for accounting and bookkeeping in QuickBooks on a daily basis.
Prepare and track bills and vouchers for payment in QuickBooks process Medicaid and Medicare.
Assist in full-cycle of the listing process for seller and buyer, including updating MLS listings.

Department assistant example responsibilities.

Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
Team player/adaptable HIPPA compliant, CPR certify.
Maintain and process Kronos time and attendance records for department employees.
Perform CPR and assist in critical care room with traumas and arrests.
Clean windows, glass partitions, or mirrors, using soapy water or other cleaners.
Prepare and submit time to Kronos system biweekly and Lawson swift maker schedule for staff.

Executive office assistant vs department assistant skills

Common executive office assistant skills

PowerPoint, 13%
Expense Reports, 8%
Payroll, 7%
Financial Reports, 6%
Office Equipment, 5%
Meeting Minutes, 4%

Common department assistant skills

Patients, 15%
Customer Service, 15%
Data Entry, 8%
Word Processing, 6%
Purchase Orders, 5%
Payroll, 4%

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Executive Office Assistant
Executive Office Assistant vs Department Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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