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The differences between executive/personal assistants and senior executive assistants 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 a senior executive assistant. Additionally, a senior executive assistant has an average salary of $66,419, which is higher than the $64,511 average annual salary of an executive/personal assistant.
The top three skills for an executive/personal assistant include financial statements, powerpoint and calendar management. The most important skills for a senior executive assistant are powerpoint, customer service, and work ethic.
| Executive/Personal Assistant | Senior Executive Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $64,511 | $66,419 |
| Hourly rate | $31.01 | $31.93 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 110,560 | 70,299 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| 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.
A senior executive assistant is responsible for handling the administrative tasks of the company on behalf of the executive management, ensuring smooth business operations to support clients' needs and customers' demands. Senior executive assistants manage executive appointments, respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, sort documents, monitor business transactions, and coordinate with other employees to distribute internal communications. They also assist in scheduling press releases, media inquiries, and updating social media platforms. A senior executive assistant must be highly communicative and organizational to perform duties under strict deadlines and minimal supervision.
Executive/personal assistants and senior executive assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Executive/Personal Assistant | Senior Executive Assistant | |
| Average salary | $64,511 | $66,419 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $92,000 | Between $43,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | ONE Sotheby's International Realty | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an executive/personal assistant and a senior executive assistant in terms of educational background:
| Executive/Personal Assistant | Senior Executive Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between executive/personal assistants' and senior executive assistants' demographics:
| Executive/Personal Assistant | Senior Executive Assistant | |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5% | Male, 10.3% Female, 89.7% |
| 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, 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% |