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Internship vs assistant

The differences between interns and assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an internship and an assistant. Additionally, an assistant has an average salary of $37,363, which is higher than the $35,254 average annual salary of an internship.

The top three skills for an internship include powerpoint, financial statements and C++. The most important skills for an assistant are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Internship vs assistant overview

InternshipAssistant
Yearly salary$35,254$37,363
Hourly rate$16.95$17.96
Growth rate-5%-8%
Number of jobs51,064557,900
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age4750
Years of experience22

What does an internship do?

Interns are trainees who are engaged by a company to work for them for a brief period. Interns usually use this opportunity to gain actual work experience, fulfill university or college requirements, and ensure that they are working towards the right career path for them. They sign on for a fixed amount of time. The responsibilities of interns depend on the company and the department that handles them. They do a variety of tasks that exposes them to the type of work that the company is engaged in and to the different aspects of the professional world.

What does an assistant do?

An assistant intern is responsible for facilitating administrative and clerical tasks as assigned by the management. Assistant interns' duties include keeping records of meetings, receiving calls and handling customer inquiries, assisting on writing reports and data entry processing, cooperating and providing support for business events, and adhering to company policies and regulatory procedures. Successful assistant interns must have excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and communication skills. They must be a team player and fast-learner to handle various tasks in the corporate industry.

Internship vs assistant salary

Interns and assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

InternshipAssistant
Average salary$35,254$37,363
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $49,000Between $16,000 And $82,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CABoston, MA
Highest paying stateAlaskaMassachusetts
Best paying companyQorvoLatham & Watkins
Best paying industryTelecommunicationEducation

Differences between internship and assistant education

There are a few differences between an internship and an assistant in terms of educational background:

InternshipAssistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Internship vs assistant demographics

Here are the differences between interns' and assistants' demographics:

InternshipAssistant
Average age4750
Gender ratioMale, 42.0% Female, 58.0%Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 10.3% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between internship and assistant duties and responsibilities

Internship example responsibilities.

  • Lead enrollment process efficiently through securing proper registration forms, official transcripts, immunization records, and IEP documentation as needed.
  • Manage all company financial transactions through QuickBooks.
  • Design PHP application to automate schedule updating process.
  • Manage a web-base graphical interface that utilize a SQL database to better track fabrication lab operations.
  • Organize online recipe content through the blog, design flyers for it and spread the contest word through twitter and blog.
  • Develop sponsored post strategy for LinkedIn and Facebook.
  • Show more

Assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage circulations, including educational textbooks and DVDS, video technology and supplies.
  • Manage branches providing information technology support, logistics, training and operational support.
  • Manage company's twitter account and communicate with multiple physical therapy providers around the country
  • Optimize productivity in prioritizing and managing special projects, PowerPoint presentations for classes, and proctore exams for undergraduate classes.
  • Assist in jewelry design and assembly, manage company Facebook page, participate in wholesale buying, and manage retail inventory
  • Manage and update company Facebook page with daily updates, finding/sharing relevant and interesting information, and encouraging fan engagement.
  • Show more

Internship vs assistant skills

Common internship skills
  • PowerPoint, 10%
  • Financial Statements, 6%
  • C++, 5%
  • Mental Health, 5%
  • Data Analysis, 4%
  • Facebook, 4%
Common assistant skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Patient Care, 8%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Sales Floor, 5%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 3%

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