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The differences between office managers/administrative assistant and staff 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 a staff assistant. Additionally, a staff assistant has an average salary of $41,778, 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 a staff assistant are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Office Manager/Administrative Assistant | Staff Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $39,071 | $41,778 |
| Hourly rate | $18.78 | $20.09 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 74,168 | 126,202 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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 staff assistant is a company employee who is tasked to support and help staff members to adequately fill their roles and assuring that the organization is running efficiently. Working under an administrative supervisor, an assistant's tasks include answering phone calls, scheduling meetings or appointments, and booking the necessary travels. Moreover, an assistant should have excellent skills in written and verbal communication and is highly organized with minimal supervision. An assistant may be able to work in a wide variety of settings, which includes healthcare facilities and government offices.
Office managers/administrative assistant and staff assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Office Manager/Administrative Assistant | Staff Assistant | |
| Average salary | $39,071 | $41,778 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $55,000 | Between $27,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Bridgewater, MA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Revance Therapeutics | Massasoit Community College |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between an office manager/administrative assistant and a staff assistant in terms of educational background:
| Office Manager/Administrative Assistant | Staff Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between office managers/administrative assistant' and staff assistants' demographics:
| Office Manager/Administrative Assistant | Staff Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.6% Female, 91.4% | Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6% |
| 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, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |