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The differences between mailroom assistants and administrative assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an administrative assistant has an average salary of $34,945, which is higher than the $29,118 average annual salary of a mailroom assistant.
The top three skills for a mailroom assistant include office equipment, data entry and HR. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.
| Mailroom Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $29,118 | $34,945 |
| Hourly rate | $14.00 | $16.80 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 13,048 | 65,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.14 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Mailroom assistants receive incoming mail and then process, sort, and distribute it to the proper recipients. They may maintain mailroom supply inventories and sort office mail and messages. It is part of their responsibilities to check outgoing mail by preparing it for delivery, including distribution of packages and logging. Moreover, they usually operate mailroom tools such as envelope openers, postage meters, mail sorting machines, mail sealers, fold-and-insert machines, labeling machines, and scanners.
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.
Mailroom assistants and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mailroom Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $29,118 | $34,945 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $35,000 | Between $26,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Walnut Creek, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | University of California | Westfield State University |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a mailroom assistant and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Mailroom Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between mailroom assistants' and administrative assistants' demographics:
| Mailroom Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.1% Female, 45.9% | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 7% | 6% |