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The differences between general office assistants and work study office 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 a work study office assistant. Additionally, a general office assistant has an average salary of $30,764, which is higher than the $23,909 average annual salary of a work study 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 a work study office assistant are work-study, customer service, and data entry.
| General Office Assistant | Work Study Office Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $30,764 | $23,909 |
| Hourly rate | $14.79 | $11.49 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 131,527 | 46,524 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A work-study office assistant is a student who works part-time at campus offices where they are primarily in charge of performing clerical support tasks. Their responsibilities often include handling calls and correspondence, preparing and processing documents, disseminating documents, gathering document signatures, greeting office visitors, setting-up facilities, and running errands. Depending upon their office of employment, they may also participate in conducting research, grading the students' quizzes and tests, making learning materials such as handouts and presentations, and organizing equipment.
General office assistants and work study office assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Office Assistant | Work Study Office Assistant | |
| Average salary | $30,764 | $23,909 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $17,000 And $31,000 |
| Highest paying City | Annapolis, MD | Greeley, CO |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Colorado |
| Best paying company | Cargill | Bridgewater State University |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Education |
There are a few differences between a general office assistant and a work study office assistant in terms of educational background:
| General Office Assistant | Work Study Office Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between general office assistants' and work study office assistants' demographics:
| General Office Assistant | Work Study Office Assistant | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2% | Male, 24.1% Female, 75.9% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 8.5% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |