Project management assistant vs assistant operator

The differences between project management assistants and assistant operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a project management assistant and an assistant operator. Additionally, a project management assistant has an average salary of $56,789, which is higher than the $37,607 average annual salary of an assistant operator.

The top three skills for a project management assistant include project management, purchase orders and financial reports. The most important skills for an assistant operator are customer service, ladders, and safety procedures.

Project management assistant vs assistant operator overview

	Project Management Assistant	Assistant Operator
Yearly salary	$56,789	$37,607
Hourly rate	$27.30	$18.08
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	129,637	88,093
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	2	2

What does a project management assistant do?

Project Management Assistants will require networking, communication, organization skills, and an associate degree. However, a bachelor's or master's degree may be preferable in some cases, in addition to certain certifications or licenses. This career choice will require the coordination of projects with communication and project management skills and the identification of client needs into an actionable plan that meets budget requirements.

What does an assistant operator do?

The duties of an assistant operator depend on one's industry of employment or the kind of machine that they are operating. Typically, their tasks may revolve around coordinating with operators and other staff, handling and managing documents, understanding blueprints, and adhering to the directives of operators and supervisors. Furthermore, as an assistant operator, it is essential to perform support tasks, such as preparing tools and conducting regular maintenance checks to ensure the efficiency of machines and maintain a safe work environment.

Project management assistant vs assistant operator salary

Project management assistants and assistant operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Project Management Assistant	Assistant Operator
Average salary	$56,789	$37,607
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $112,000	Between $28,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	Hartford, CT	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Connecticut
Best paying company	Novartis	Massachusetts General Hospital
Best paying industry	Professional	Energy

Differences between project management assistant and assistant operator education

There are a few differences between a project management assistant and an assistant operator in terms of educational background:

	Project Management Assistant	Assistant Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Project management assistant vs assistant operator demographics

Here are the differences between project management assistants' and assistant operators' demographics:

	Project Management Assistant	Assistant Operator
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7%	Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between project management assistant and assistant operator duties and responsibilities

Project management assistant example responsibilities.

Process submittals, RFI, subcontract change orders, manage project correspondence, track project documents, closeout documentation.
Manage quality assurance checks for FDA and internal audits which result in no documentation/information error and successful completion of the audits.
Print and make changes to AutoCAD drawings and convert drawings to Visio when request.
Perform manual QA testing for new and update work orders.
Create high-level flowcharts in Visio to streamline database design and process flows.
Document expeditor, schedule updates and reviews, write and track RFI progress, track issues.

Assistant operator example responsibilities.

Manage proper removal and allocation for full yarn spindles.
Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Maintain current MSHA training requirements.
Coordinate special movement of ISO tanks.
Certify in MSHA hard-rock mine safety.
Maintain spinning/winding machines by putting idle spindles and cones back into production.

Project management assistant vs assistant operator skills

Common project management assistant skills

Project Management, 32%
Purchase Orders, 7%
Financial Reports, 6%
Assist Project, 5%
Meeting Minutes, 5%
ISO, 4%

Common assistant operator skills

Customer Service, 28%
Ladders, 11%
Safety Procedures, 9%
Safety Committee, 6%
Quality Checks, 6%
PPE, 5%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Project Management Assistant
Project Management Assistant vs Assistant Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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