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The differences between personal assistants and administrative assistants/personal assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a personal assistant and an administrative assistant/personal assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant/personal assistant has an average salary of $40,751, which is higher than the $40,026 average annual salary of a personal assistant.
The top three skills for a personal assistant include run errands, companionship and scheduling appointments. The most important skills for an administrative assistant/personal assistant are payroll, scheduling appointments, and financial statements.
| Personal Assistant | Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $40,026 | $40,751 |
| Hourly rate | $19.24 | $19.59 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 21,638 | 70,276 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 49 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Personal assistants are employees working for individuals who need help in managing their personal affairs. Personal assistants manage the daily activities of their employers. They are in charge of managing their employer's schedules and appointments, often coordinating their meetings and orienting them on their schedule at the start of the day. They also arrange travel needs, from looking for travel tickets to booking accommodations. When they have built enough trust with their employer, they are entrusted to also manage personal financial accounts and are often given access to other confidential information related to the employer.
An Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant performs daily and time management tasks, meeting schedules, note-taking, and correspondence. Administrative Assistants answer and direct phone calls to the appropriate staff. They are in charge of ordering and purchasing office supply stocks. Their duties and responsibilities depend on the company and the industry they are working for. They serve as the point of contact for external stakeholders and staff. They must develop professionalism, inventory control, and administrative writing skills.
Personal assistants and administrative assistants/personal assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personal Assistant | Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | |
| Average salary | $40,026 | $40,751 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $60,000 | Between $30,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | - |
| Highest paying state | New York | - |
| Best paying company | AbbVie | - |
| Best paying industry | Real Estate | - |
There are a few differences between a personal assistant and an administrative assistant/personal assistant in terms of educational background:
| Personal Assistant | Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between personal assistants' and administrative assistants/personal assistants' demographics:
| Personal Assistant | Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | |
| Average age | 49 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.3% Female, 80.7% | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 7.4% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 6% |