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Production assistant vs assistant

The differences between production assistants and assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an assistant has an average salary of $37,363, which is higher than the $33,405 average annual salary of a production assistant.

The top three skills for a production assistant include video production, teleprompter and audio board. The most important skills for an assistant are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Production assistant vs assistant overview

Production AssistantAssistant
Yearly salary$33,405$37,363
Hourly rate$16.06$17.96
Growth rate-5%-8%
Number of jobs51,905557,900
Job satisfaction4-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age3850
Years of experience-2

What does a production assistant do?

Production assistants are employees in show business, working behind the scenes. They work in film, television, or even theatre sets primarily to provide support. They usually work directly under directors or producers. Production assistants are responsible for ensuring that the day will run smoothly, be it for a television or film shoot or a performance at the theatre. They should be familiar with all the scenes, ensure that the cast and crew are ready, and cue them when it is their time to go on. They should also be able to anticipate needs that may arise and should be able to quickly mitigate any challenges. Production assistants should be flexible and have quick decision-making skills.

What does an assistant do?

An assistant intern is responsible for facilitating administrative and clerical tasks as assigned by the management. Assistant interns' duties include keeping records of meetings, receiving calls and handling customer inquiries, assisting on writing reports and data entry processing, cooperating and providing support for business events, and adhering to company policies and regulatory procedures. Successful assistant interns must have excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and communication skills. They must be a team player and fast-learner to handle various tasks in the corporate industry.

Production assistant vs assistant salary

Production assistants and assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Production AssistantAssistant
Average salary$33,405$37,363
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $44,000Between $16,000 And $82,000
Highest paying CityBristol, CTBoston, MA
Highest paying stateHawaiiMassachusetts
Best paying companyNational Football LeagueLatham & Watkins
Best paying industryManufacturingEducation

Differences between production assistant and assistant education

There are a few differences between a production assistant and an assistant in terms of educational background:

Production AssistantAssistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common majorCommunicationBusiness
Most common college-Western Carolina University

Production assistant vs assistant demographics

Here are the differences between production assistants' and assistants' demographics:

Production AssistantAssistant
Average age3850
Gender ratioMale, 53.4% Female, 46.6%Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 6.5% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage9%6%

Differences between production assistant and assistant duties and responsibilities

Production assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage customer accounts using Quickbooks.
  • Manage cross-departmental communication and collaboration to increase ESPN viewers.
  • Manage QA process including test/debug cycles and platform compliance/compatibility testing.
  • Manage all office aspects including general administrative duties and assisting with staff payroll.
  • Manage client photography house accounts and submissions, including calculating usage rights and licensing royalty-free and rights-manage images.
  • Manage and refine the metadata system for a photography database -communicate with customers over e-mail with regards to advertisement proofs
  • Show more

Assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage circulations, including educational textbooks and DVDS, video technology and supplies.
  • Manage branches providing information technology support, logistics, training and operational support.
  • Manage company's twitter account and communicate with multiple physical therapy providers around the country
  • Optimize productivity in prioritizing and managing special projects, PowerPoint presentations for classes, and proctore exams for undergraduate classes.
  • Assist in jewelry design and assembly, manage company Facebook page, participate in wholesale buying, and manage retail inventory
  • Manage and update company Facebook page with daily updates, finding/sharing relevant and interesting information, and encouraging fan engagement.
  • Show more

Production assistant vs assistant skills

Common production assistant skills
  • Video Production, 18%
  • Teleprompter, 7%
  • Audio Board, 7%
  • Purchase Orders, 4%
  • Production Equipment, 4%
  • Photography, 4%
Common assistant skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Patient Care, 8%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Sales Floor, 5%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 3%

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