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The differences between personal assistants and assistant office managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a personal assistant, becoming an assistant office manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an assistant office manager has an average salary of $43,074, 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 assistant office manager are customer service, patients, and financial statements.
| Personal Assistant | Assistant Office Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $40,026 | $43,074 |
| Hourly rate | $19.24 | $20.71 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 21,638 | 56,866 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 49 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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 assistant office manager's role is to perform administrative and management support-related tasks. Most of the responsibilities revolve around gathering information and maintaining a database, preparing presentations and processing necessary documents, arranging schedules and appointments, and taking charge of the procurement of office supplies. Furthermore, an assistant office manager may take part in maintenance activities and decisions, devise plans to maximize space, improve the office environment, and even attend meetings on behalf of the manager.
Personal assistants and assistant office managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personal Assistant | Assistant Office Manager | |
| Average salary | $40,026 | $43,074 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $60,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Campbell, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Alaska |
| Best paying company | AbbVie | Cambridge Associates |
| Best paying industry | Real Estate | Finance |
There are a few differences between a personal assistant and an assistant office manager in terms of educational background:
| Personal Assistant | Assistant Office Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between personal assistants' and assistant office managers' demographics:
| Personal Assistant | Assistant Office Manager | |
| Average age | 49 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.3% Female, 80.7% | Male, 17.8% Female, 82.2% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 8% |