General office assistant vs administrative assistant

The differences between general office assistants and 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 general office assistant and an administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant has an average salary of $34,945, which is higher than the $30,764 average annual salary of a general office assistant.

The top three skills for a general office assistant include data entry, customer service and general office assistance. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.

General office assistant vs administrative assistant overview

	General Office Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary	$30,764	$34,945
Hourly rate	$14.79	$16.80
Growth rate	-5%	-8%
Number of jobs	131,527	65,769
Job satisfaction	-	4.14
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	47	50
Years of experience	2	2

What does a general office assistant do?

A general office assistant is in charge of performing clerical support tasks to help an office run smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities include managing the office calendar and schedules, preparing and processing documents, handling calls and correspondence, organizing and disseminating files, greeting visitors, and running errands as needed. They must also monitor the inventory of office supplies, processing procurement requests as necessary. Furthermore, a general office assistant may assist staff in projects and programs while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

What does an administrative assistant do?

Administrative assistants, or admin assistants, do general clerical and administrative activities. Their duties involve organizing and maintaining files and records, preparing documents, scheduling meetings and appointments, and providing general support in the office. Administrative assistants handle incoming and outgoing official correspondences, take minutes of important meetings and manage calls to the main office number. They also assist executives in providing structure to their day by managing their schedule, drafting e-mails, and other activities that executives may need assistance in. Administrative assistants should have the following skills: organizing, business writing, decision-making, and communication.

General office assistant vs administrative assistant salary

General office assistants and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Office Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Average salary	$30,764	$34,945
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $39,000	Between $26,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Annapolis, MD	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	California
Best paying company	Cargill	Westfield State University
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between general office assistant and administrative assistant education

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

	General Office Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

General office assistant vs administrative assistant demographics

Here are the differences between general office assistants' and administrative assistants' demographics:

	General Office Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Average age	47	50
Gender ratio	Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2%	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 9.1% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between general office assistant and administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

General office assistant example responsibilities.

Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
Utilize QuickBooks to prepare checks and process for submission to insurance companies.
Assign jobs to the installers into the computer by their installer identification number, addressed any payroll questions from the installers.
Distribute payroll and verify accuracy.
Maintain general office tidiness run errands and perform other job-relate duties as assigned.
Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.

Administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Manage time and attendance using Kronos software for entire department.
Participate in national projects, manage new customer conversions to MCI from other carriers.
Manage FEDEX delivery requirements ensuring compliance with company policy.
Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
Manage company finances using QuickBooks software, including monitoring the operating budget and collecting on unpaid invoices.
Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.

General office assistant vs administrative assistant skills

Common general office assistant skills

Data Entry, 26%
Customer Service, 12%
General Office Assistance, 9%
Front Desk, 7%
Schedule Appointments, 6%
Office Equipment, 6%

Common administrative assistant skills

Customer Service, 14%
Data Entry, 11%
PowerPoint, 6%
Travel Arrangements, 5%
Database Management, 5%
Word Processing, 5%

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General Office Assistant
General Office Assistant vs Administrative Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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