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The differences between executive/personal assistants and executive administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an executive/personal assistant and an executive administrator. Additionally, an executive/personal assistant has an average salary of $64,511, which is higher than the $52,855 average annual salary of an executive administrator.
The top three skills for an executive/personal assistant include financial statements, powerpoint and calendar management. The most important skills for an executive administrator are powerpoint, customer service, and expense reports.
| Executive/Personal Assistant | Executive Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $64,511 | $52,855 |
| Hourly rate | $31.01 | $25.41 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 110,560 | 141,235 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An executive/personal assistant is responsible for performing secretarial duties, including administrative and clerical tasks as needed, helping the business operations run smoothly and efficiently. Executive/personal assistants receive and respond to client's calls and inquiries, schedule and maintain an organized record of executive and staff meetings, sorting files and documents, and attending general meetings on behalf of the executives. They should also have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills, especially on providing recommendations for business decisions and profitable opportunities. An executive/personal assistant creates expense reports, monitors the adequacy of stock inventory, and coordinates with planning company events.
An executive administrator is responsible for assisting the senior management staff in planning strategies and analyzing business decisions to achieve the company's goals and objectives. Executive administrators schedule meetings and handle appointments, as well as helping with the implementation of training and programs for the employees to reach their maximum operational potential and increase productivity to meet projects' demands and ensure the highest customer satisfaction. They must have exceptional time-management and organizational skills, especially on performing administrative and clerical duties as needed, as well as excellent communication skills to respond to clients' inquiries, concerns, and requests.
Executive/personal assistants and executive administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Executive/Personal Assistant | Executive Administrator | |
| Average salary | $64,511 | $52,855 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $92,000 | Between $35,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | ONE Sotheby's International Realty | JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an executive/personal assistant and an executive administrator in terms of educational background:
| Executive/Personal Assistant | Executive Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between executive/personal assistants' and executive administrators' demographics:
| Executive/Personal Assistant | Executive Administrator | |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5% | Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2% |
| 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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |