Office manager/administrative assistant vs administrative project assistant

The differences between office managers/administrative assistant and administrative project 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 office manager/administrative assistant and an administrative project assistant. Additionally, an administrative project assistant has an average salary of $41,668, which is higher than the $39,071 average annual salary of an office manager/administrative assistant.

The top three skills for an office manager/administrative assistant include customer service, data entry and financial statements. The most important skills for an administrative project assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.

Office manager/administrative assistant vs administrative project assistant overview

	Office Manager/Administrative Assistant	Administrative Project Assistant
Yearly salary	$39,071	$41,668
Hourly rate	$18.78	$20.03
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	74,168	58,448
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	2	2

What does an office manager/administrative assistant do?

An office manager, also known as an administrative ssistant, is responsible for overseeing the workflow in an office or department. An office manager's duties mostly revolve around performing clerical tasks, such as organizing and maintaining accurate schedules and documentation, obtaining office supplies and equipment, arranging meetings and appointments, preparing reports and evaluations, and handling calls and other forms of correspondence. Furthermore, an office manager serves as the contact person for different departments. Therefore it is crucial to maintain an active line of communication and coordination at all times.

What does an administrative project assistant do?

An administrative project assistant is responsible for supporting the project management operations according to business requirements and client specifications. Administrative project assistants perform administrative duties, such as conducting market research, writing progress reports, updating tracking systems, sorting project documents, and scheduling meetings. They also maintain accurate records of financial transactions, managing the stock inventories, and escalating concerns that would affect the output deliveries. An administrative project assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on data management processes and performing duties under minimal supervision and strict deadlines.

Office manager/administrative assistant vs administrative project assistant salary

Office managers/administrative assistant and administrative project assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Office Manager/Administrative Assistant	Administrative Project Assistant
Average salary	$39,071	$41,668
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $55,000	Between $31,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Oregon	California
Best paying company	Revance Therapeutics	Jacobs Engineering Group
Best paying industry	Professional	Construction

Differences between office manager/administrative assistant and administrative project assistant education

There are a few differences between an office manager/administrative assistant and an administrative project assistant in terms of educational background:

	Office Manager/Administrative Assistant	Administrative Project Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Office manager/administrative assistant vs administrative project assistant demographics

Here are the differences between office managers/administrative assistant' and administrative project assistants' demographics:

	Office Manager/Administrative Assistant	Administrative Project Assistant
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 8.6% Female, 91.4%	Male, 10.3% Female, 89.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.5% 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	6%	6%

Differences between office manager/administrative assistant and administrative project assistant duties and responsibilities

Office manager/administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Manage detailed administrative records using POS retail software.
Scan and file all documents into EMR and paper chart.
Coordinate yearly CPR training with local fire department for post office employees.
Scan all labs retrieve from various insurance portals, and medical records into the EMR.
Compile payroll information within deadlines.
Compile expense reporting and payroll for manufacturing facility staff.

Administrative project assistant example responsibilities.

Manage quality assurance checks for FDA and internal audits which result in no documentation/information error and successful completion of the audits.
Create and maintain project-related SharePoint sites and pages, including updating graphics, uploading resource documents and adding new users.
Prepare presentation materials for meetings, utilizing Microsoft PowerPoint.
Develop creative PowerPoint presentations for company to be present for conferences/conventions.
Eliminate potential errors by establishing an alternate payroll template and process.
Coordinate certified payroll, credit card reconciliation, and travel expense reimbursements.

Office manager/administrative assistant vs administrative project assistant skills

Common office manager/administrative assistant skills

Customer Service, 16%
Data Entry, 10%
Financial Statements, 5%
Travel Arrangements, 5%
Purchase Orders, 5%
Office Equipment, 5%

Common administrative project assistant skills

Customer Service, 11%
Data Entry, 10%
PowerPoint, 8%
Project Management, 5%
Meeting Minutes, 4%
Office Equipment, 4%

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Office Manager/Administrative Assistant
Office Manager/Administrative Assistant vs Administrative Project Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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