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The differences between program assistants and project assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a program assistant, becoming a project assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a project assistant has an average salary of $38,564, which is higher than the $35,193 average annual salary of a program assistant.
The top three skills for a program assistant include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a project assistant are data entry, powerpoint, and customer service.
| Program Assistant | Project Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $35,193 | $38,564 |
| Hourly rate | $16.92 | $18.54 |
| Growth rate | 12% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 96,901 | 59,664 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 43 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
Program assistants are usually entry-level or junior employees assigned to a department that handles a specific program in the organization. They assist the team they are assigned to in the implementation of the programs. They usually take care of administrative or clerical activities while also getting exposure to actual program management. Program assistants get trained to handle agendas from inception, to sourcing, to implementation, to evaluation. They may also handle documentary support for business cases or other presentation materials that the team may need for a specific part of the program management cycle.
A project assistant's role mainly revolves around assisting a project manager. The responsibilities may vary upon the industry or organization. Still, most of them will be administrative tasks such as preparing reports and documentation, responding to calls and other forms of correspondence, and coordinating with various offices and personnel. Furthermore, a Project Assistant must also ensure the department's efficient workflow, proper utilization of budget, review documentation and schedules, attend meetings, and maintain an information database.
Program assistants and project assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Assistant | Project Assistant | |
| Average salary | $35,193 | $38,564 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $45,000 | Between $25,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Portland, OR |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Oregon |
| Best paying company | The Aspen Institute | AstraZeneca |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a program assistant and a project assistant in terms of educational background:
| Program Assistant | Project Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between program assistants' and project assistants' demographics:
| Program Assistant | Project Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2% | Male, 32.9% Female, 67.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 6.7% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 6% |