General office assistant vs office administrator

The differences between general office assistants and office administrators 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 office administrator. Additionally, an office administrator has an average salary of $37,423, 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 office administrator are customer service, patients, and data entry.

General office assistant vs office administrator overview

	General Office Assistant	Office Administrator
Yearly salary	$30,764	$37,423
Hourly rate	$14.79	$17.99
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	131,527	118,096
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	47	47
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 office administrator do?

Office administrators are employees who ensure that the office is running in tip-top shape. They manage the administrative needs of the office. They answer calls directed to the official company phone, manage the inventory of supplies, take charge or purchase requisitions for needed supplies, and ensure the office equipment and fixtures are taken care of. Office administrators also manage correspondences, official memoranda, and other official company documents. They also keep track of files and records to ensure that these are properly organized. At times, office administrators also take charge of welcoming guests and accompanying them to their respective meetings.

General office assistant vs office administrator salary

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

	General Office Assistant	Office Administrator
Average salary	$30,764	$37,423
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $39,000	Between $28,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Annapolis, MD	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Cargill	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Finance	Government

Differences between general office assistant and office administrator education

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

	General Office Assistant	Office Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

General office assistant vs office administrator demographics

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

	General Office Assistant	Office Administrator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2%	Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3%
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, 10.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 7.9% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between general office assistant and office administrator 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.

Office administrator example responsibilities.

Monitor calls, manage calendars, travel, meeting arrangements, video conference and teleconferencing.
Formulate various procedures to assure efficient operation of the SharePoint system is managed properly for CFWB and BOS.
Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Pull patients charts for doctors using EMR system as well as pulled chart from medical records room.
Create and update all departmental ISO documents.
Collect all outgoing FedEx overnight packages and ship with accurate tracking and conformation information.

General office assistant vs office administrator 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 office administrator skills

Customer Service, 18%
Patients, 11%
Data Entry, 8%
Office Equipment, 5%
Front Desk, 4%
PowerPoint, 3%

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Office and Administrative Industry
General Office Assistant
General Office Assistant vs Office Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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