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The differences between project management assistants and contract administrative assistants 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 a contract administrative assistant. Additionally, a project management assistant has an average salary of $56,789, which is higher than the $39,073 average annual salary of a contract administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a project management assistant include project management, purchase orders and financial reports. The most important skills for a contract administrative assistant are data entry, purchase orders, and powerpoint.
| Project Management Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $56,789 | $39,073 |
| Hourly rate | $27.30 | $18.79 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 129,637 | 64,677 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A contract administrative assistant works on a contractual basis at offices where they are in charge of performing support tasks. Among their responsibilities include answering calls and correspondence, filing and organizing documents, coordinating with different departments, arranging appointments and schedules, preparing and processing files, and running errands as needed. They may also monitor the inventory of office supplies, processing procurement requests when necessary. Furthermore, a contract administrative assistant must maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.
Project management assistants and contract administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Management Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $56,789 | $39,073 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $112,000 | Between $31,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hartford, CT | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Novartis | Minnesota State Fair |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a project management assistant and a contract administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Project Management Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between project management assistants' and contract administrative assistants' demographics:
| Project Management Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% | Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |