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The differences between office managers/administrative assistant and senior office assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an office manager/administrative assistant, becoming a senior office assistant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an office manager/administrative assistant has an average salary of $39,071, which is higher than the $34,082 average annual salary of a senior office assistant.
The top three skills for an office manager/administrative assistant include customer service, data entry and financial statements. The most important skills for a senior office assistant are data entry, patients, and office procedures.
| Office Manager/Administrative Assistant | Senior Office Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $39,071 | $34,082 |
| Hourly rate | $18.78 | $16.39 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 74,168 | 77,390 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 50 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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.
A senior office assistant performs clerical support tasks to maintain the smooth flow of operations in an office. Their responsibilities typically include supervising junior assistants, conducting research and analysis, preparing and processing documents, answering calls and correspondence, arranging schedules and events, confirming appointments, and helping staff as needed. They must also maintain an active communication line with different departments and participate in various projects. Moreover, as a senior office assistant, they must lead and serve as a role model to junior office assistants, all while implementing and promoting the company's policies and regulations.
Office managers/administrative assistant and senior office assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Office Manager/Administrative Assistant | Senior Office Assistant | |
| Average salary | $39,071 | $34,082 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $55,000 | Between $25,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Revance Therapeutics | Brigham and Women's Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between an office manager/administrative assistant and a senior office assistant in terms of educational background:
| Office Manager/Administrative Assistant | Senior Office Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between office managers/administrative assistant' and senior office assistants' demographics:
| Office Manager/Administrative Assistant | Senior Office Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.6% Female, 91.4% | Male, 17.3% Female, 82.7% |
| 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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 10% |