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Finance/administrative assistant vs contract administrative assistant

The differences between finance/administrative assistants and contract administrative assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a finance/administrative assistant and a contract administrative assistant. Additionally, a finance/administrative assistant has an average salary of $39,756, which is higher than the $39,073 average annual salary of a contract administrative assistant.

The top three skills for a finance/administrative assistant include data entry, powerpoint and travel arrangements. The most important skills for a contract administrative assistant are data entry, purchase orders, and powerpoint.

Finance/administrative assistant vs contract administrative assistant overview

Finance/Administrative AssistantContract Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary$39,756$39,073
Hourly rate$19.11$18.79
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs127,37964,677
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age5050
Years of experience22

What does a finance/administrative assistant do?

A finance administrative assistant is responsible for performing clerical duties and basic bookkeeping tasks to support financial operations under the supervision of financial executives. Finance administrative assistants generate financial and business reports, update account information on the database, assist with payroll release, and help the accounting staff in resolving financial discrepancies and disputes. They also reach out to the clients for payments and billing, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and escalate their complaints to the supervisor for immediate resolution.

What does a contract administrative assistant do?

A contract administrative assistant works on a contractual basis at offices where they are in charge of performing support tasks. Among their responsibilities include answering calls and correspondence, filing and organizing documents, coordinating with different departments, arranging appointments and schedules, preparing and processing files, and running errands as needed. They may also monitor the inventory of office supplies, processing procurement requests when necessary. Furthermore, a contract administrative assistant must maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.

Finance/administrative assistant vs contract administrative assistant salary

Finance/administrative assistants and contract administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Finance/Administrative AssistantContract Administrative Assistant
Average salary$39,756$39,073
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $52,000Between $31,000 And $48,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCWashington, DC
Highest paying stateConnecticutConnecticut
Best paying companyTALENT Software ServicesMinnesota State Fair
Best paying industryProfessionalPharmaceutical

Differences between finance/administrative assistant and contract administrative assistant education

There are a few differences between a finance/administrative assistant and a contract administrative assistant in terms of educational background:

Finance/Administrative AssistantContract Administrative Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaWestern Carolina University

Finance/administrative assistant vs contract administrative assistant demographics

Here are the differences between finance/administrative assistants' and contract administrative assistants' demographics:

Finance/Administrative AssistantContract Administrative Assistant
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 12.8% Female, 87.2%Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.4% 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, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between finance/administrative assistant and contract administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Finance/administrative assistant example responsibilities.

  • Initiate both domestic and international wire transfers as well as ACH payments to manage vendor payments.
  • Manage all AR, AP, sales orders, work orders, and prepay inventory reconciliation.
  • Orchestrate special events and reservations; manage customer relations and provide exemplary service to all customers.
  • Alphabetize, sort, files FAFSA's code, and assemble letters for mass mailing.
  • Help students and officials file and summit FAFSA application forms and develop and maintain spreadsheets for documenting cases.
  • Process accounts payable and receivable utilizing QuickBooks.
  • Show more

Contract administrative assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
  • Orchestrate and design all RFP and RFQ proposals.
  • Issue RFQ's for subcontracts, evaluate proposals, award contracts and oversee through closeout.
  • Streamline staff scheduling through team management software (SharePoint) by coordinating schedules, meetings, and travel arrangements.
  • Transfer payroll and accounting paperwork to electronic form and index for future reference.
  • Assist in the creation and distribution of PowerPoint presentations for company executives and outside affiliates.
  • Show more

Finance/administrative assistant vs contract administrative assistant skills

Common finance/administrative assistant skills
  • Data Entry, 11%
  • PowerPoint, 10%
  • Travel Arrangements, 7%
  • Purchase Orders, 6%
  • Financial Aid, 5%
  • Expense Reports, 5%
Common contract administrative assistant skills
  • Data Entry, 16%
  • Purchase Orders, 9%
  • PowerPoint, 9%
  • Expense Reports, 5%
  • SharePoint, 4%
  • Financial Reports, 4%

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