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Manager's assistant/administrative assistant vs executive assistant

The differences between managers's assistant/administrative assistant and executive assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a manager's assistant/administrative assistant, becoming an executive assistant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an executive assistant has an average salary of $50,539, which is higher than the $44,190 average annual salary of a manager's assistant/administrative assistant.

The top three skills for a manager's assistant/administrative assistant include inventory control, customer service and financial reports. The most important skills for an executive assistant are powerpoint, customer service, and phone calls.

Manager's assistant/administrative assistant vs executive assistant overview

Manager's Assistant/Administrative AssistantExecutive Assistant
Yearly salary$44,190$50,539
Hourly rate$21.25$24.30
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs40,34993,116
Job satisfaction44.4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age5049
Years of experience24

What does a manager's assistant/administrative assistant do?

A manager's assistant, or administrative assistant, is responsible for providing support to the management by performing administrative and clerical tasks as needed. Some of the administrative assistant's duties include receiving and responding to customer's inquiries and concerns through e-mail, phone calls, and personal visits, scheduling meetings or important events, generating operations reports, keeping records of the company's expenses, and monitoring office supplies. An administrative assistant must have exceptional work ethics and time-management skills, as well as the ability to multi-task to perform multiple tasks under minimal supervision.

What does an executive assistant do?

Executive assistants are employees who are assigned to work under the supervision of company executives. They manage the activities of the executives they are assigned to by manning the executive's calendar, scheduling appointments, setting meetings, ensuring that the executives are familiar with their schedule for the day, and taking note of any deliverable that may be needed. They are also responsible for taking care of any document or paperwork that the executive needs, as well as preparing presentation materials or briefers for meetings. Executive assistants are also usually exposed to actual company operations to further understand how the business works and to be of better help to the executive.

Manager's assistant/administrative assistant vs executive assistant salary

Managers's assistant/administrative assistant and executive assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Manager's Assistant/Administrative AssistantExecutive Assistant
Average salary$44,190$50,539
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $71,000Between $35,000 And $71,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkNew York
Best paying companyBain & CompanyMeta
Best paying industryManufacturingFinance

Differences between manager's assistant/administrative assistant and executive assistant education

There are a few differences between a manager's assistant/administrative assistant and an executive assistant in terms of educational background:

Manager's Assistant/Administrative AssistantExecutive Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Manager's assistant/administrative assistant vs executive assistant demographics

Here are the differences between managers's assistant/administrative assistant' and executive assistants' demographics:

Manager's Assistant/Administrative AssistantExecutive Assistant
Average age5049
Gender ratioMale, 33.9% Female, 66.1%Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage6%10%

Differences between manager's assistant/administrative assistant and executive assistant duties and responsibilities

Manager's assistant/administrative assistant example responsibilities.

  • Utilize KRONOS operating system to ensure employees are paid correctly and direct labor costs to the company manage efficiently.
  • Manage an official company page on Facebook to facilitate interaction with customers and increase customer engagement.
  • Liaise with top hospital administration to attain clearance for international patient prior to surgery and maintain anonymity of high profile patients.
  • Assist executive director and research director with PowerPoint presentations, research, and various administrative tasks, including calendar management.
  • Receive training in non-violence crisis intervention (CPI) as well as CPR.
  • Assist in the registration for swim, water safety instructor, CPR, and water aerobics classes.
  • Show more

Executive assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage and maintain AVP calendar and schedule using independent judgment.
  • Manage and review WinStar (KRONOS) time clock hours for hourly union employees.
  • Organize and manage administrative, audio/visual (WebEx, GoToMeeting), and catering of department meetings.
  • Manage the scope of accounting processes including billing, bookkeeping and expense data management with strong oversight of A/R and A/P.
  • Create and manage executive presentations using Visio and PowerPoint.
  • Compile, manage and organize travel and expense reports processing and submitting reports using PeopleSoft for reimbursement.
  • Show more

Manager's assistant/administrative assistant vs executive assistant skills

Common manager's assistant/administrative assistant skills
  • Inventory Control, 26%
  • Customer Service, 18%
  • Financial Reports, 6%
  • Loss Prevention, 4%
  • Purchase Orders, 4%
  • Telephone Calls, 4%
Common executive assistant skills
  • PowerPoint, 13%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Phone Calls, 6%
  • Calendar Management, 6%
  • Administrative Tasks, 3%
  • Financial Reports, 3%

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