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The differences between office administrators and administrative staff can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an office administrator and an administrative staff. Additionally, an administrative staff has an average salary of $77,101, which is higher than the $37,423 average annual salary of an office administrator.
The top three skills for an office administrator include customer service, patients and data entry. The most important skills for an administrative staff are telephone calls, word processing, and travel arrangements.
| Office Administrator | Administrative Staff | |
| Yearly salary | $37,423 | $77,101 |
| Hourly rate | $17.99 | $37.07 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 118,096 | 119,030 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 47 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
As the administrative staff, they primarily provide administrative and secretarial support for the department. Typically, they do report-writing, filing and scheduling, and payroll. They plan department weekly meetings, schedule conference calls, and work on solving administrative related concerns and issues. They do a complex task that involves multi-tasking from the preparation of department reports, analyzing data, and finding solutions. It is a requirement to be an experienced, collaborator, and trained cross-functional communicator. Moreover, other duties will include scheduling company-initiated activities, meetings, and events.
Office administrators and administrative staff have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Office Administrator | Administrative Staff | |
| Average salary | $37,423 | $77,101 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $48,000 | Between $58,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between an office administrator and an administrative staff in terms of educational background:
| Office Administrator | Administrative Staff | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between office administrators' and administrative staff' demographics:
| Office Administrator | Administrative Staff | |
| Average age | 47 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3% | Male, 31.9% Female, 68.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |