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The differences between office assistants and office administrators 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 assistant and an office administrator. Additionally, an office administrator has an average salary of $37,423, which is higher than the $31,517 average annual salary of an office assistant.
The top three skills for an office assistant include data entry, patients and customer service. The most important skills for an office administrator are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Office Assistant | Office Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $31,517 | $37,423 |
| Hourly rate | $15.15 | $17.99 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 103,293 | 118,096 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Office assistants perform various tasks to ensure that the business runs organized and efficient. An office assistant must possess excellent communication and multi-tasking skills to handle essential duties such as scheduling meetings, monitoring office supplies, storing documents and necessary paperwork, handling customer inquiries and appointments, coordinating in company events, and accomplishing other clerical tasks and administrative support. Office assistants are also required to communicate any observation that would possibly make an impact on the company's performance.
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.
Office assistants and office administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Office Assistant | Office Administrator | |
| Average salary | $31,517 | $37,423 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $41,000 | Between $28,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Analysis Group | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between an office assistant and an office administrator in terms of educational background:
| Office Assistant | Office Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between office assistants' and office administrators' demographics:
| Office Assistant | Office Administrator | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 17.3% Female, 82.7% | Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 8.3% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |