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The differences between program assistants and senior program associates 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 senior program associate takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior program associate has an average salary of $56,190, 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 senior program associate are phone calls, program management, and powerpoint.
| Program Assistant | Senior Program Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $35,193 | $56,190 |
| Hourly rate | $16.92 | $27.01 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 96,901 | 65,343 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
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 senior program associate performs a variety of tasks for an organization, including conducting clinical documentation audits, overseeing and approving all treatment and discharge plans, and implementing process improvements. As a senior program associate, you will be responsible for assisting units in developing proposals and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders in producing materials such as reports and brochures. In addition, you will also be responsible for preparing and submitting reports on time and working closely with the finance department in developing needed financials.
Program assistants and senior program associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Assistant | Senior Program Associate | |
| Average salary | $35,193 | $56,190 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $45,000 | Between $37,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | The Aspen Institute | |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a program assistant and a senior program associate in terms of educational background:
| Program Assistant | Senior Program Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between program assistants' and senior program associates' demographics:
| Program Assistant | Senior Program Associate | |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2% | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% |
| 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, 7.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.3% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 14% |