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The differences between front desk administrative assistants and administrative associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a front desk administrative assistant and an administrative associate. Additionally, an administrative associate has an average salary of $34,873, which is higher than the $33,037 average annual salary of a front desk administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a front desk administrative assistant include customer service, patients and data entry. The most important skills for an administrative associate are administrative tasks, purchase orders, and customer service.
| Front Desk Administrative Assistant | Administrative Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $33,037 | $34,873 |
| Hourly rate | $15.88 | $16.77 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 95,732 | 54,499 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A front desk administrative assistant is responsible for performing administrative duties to support daily business functions and operations. Front desk administrative assistants assist guests, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and direct them to the appropriate personnel for their needs. They also monitor office inventories, write purchase requests, and distribute mails across the departments. A front desk administrative assistants review business and financial transactions to generate reports, update information on the company's database, and sort documents for reference.
An administrative associate is responsible for performing various tasks such as handling and processing paperwork, attending meetings and preparing minutes, responding to inquiries and other forms of correspondence, keeping accurate records, updating databases, and monitoring the company's financial activities. They also communicate with various department personnel, ensuring coordination should any important matter would arise. Furthermore, as an administrative associate, they are in charge of procuring supplies, implementing company policies, and supporting any staff members if needed.
Front desk administrative assistants and administrative associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Front Desk Administrative Assistant | Administrative Associate | |
| Average salary | $33,037 | $34,873 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $39,000 | Between $23,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Springfield, MA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New York |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Lord Abbett |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a front desk administrative assistant and an administrative associate in terms of educational background:
| Front Desk Administrative Assistant | Administrative Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between front desk administrative assistants' and administrative associates' demographics:
| Front Desk Administrative Assistant | Administrative Associate | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.0% Female, 90.0% | Male, 21.6% Female, 78.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |