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The differences between personal assistants and 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 office manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an office manager has an average salary of $43,395, 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 office manager are customer service, patients, and financial statements.
| Personal Assistant | Office Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $40,026 | $43,395 |
| Hourly rate | $19.24 | $20.86 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 21,638 | 53,712 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| 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.
Office managers oversee the entire workplace. They maintain office processes and services to ensure that everything is running well. They manage office supplies by managing inventory and procurement procedures. They also device filing systems, create needed and relevant office policies, and ensure that all the policies are being followed. As a way to make sure that the office is in top shape, office managers supervise most of the logistical aspects inside the office. They also provide support to both management teams and the rest of the employees. They often act as the bridge between the two and would sometimes even assist in the training of new employees.
Personal assistants and office managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personal Assistant | Office Manager | |
| Average salary | $40,026 | $43,395 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $60,000 | Between $30,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | AbbVie | Moody's |
| Best paying industry | Real Estate | Construction |
There are a few differences between a personal assistant and an office manager in terms of educational background:
| Personal Assistant | Office Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between personal assistants' and office managers' demographics:
| Personal Assistant | Office Manager | |
| Average age | 49 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.3% Female, 80.7% | Male, 13.5% Female, 86.5% |
| 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, 10.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 5.2% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 8% |