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Project management assistant vs contract administrative assistant

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 vs contract administrative assistant overview

Project Management AssistantContract Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary$56,789$39,073
Hourly rate$27.30$18.79
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs129,63764,677
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age5050
Years of experience22

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 a contract administrative assistant do?

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 assistant vs contract administrative assistant salary

Project management assistants and contract administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Project Management AssistantContract Administrative Assistant
Average salary$56,789$39,073
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $112,000Between $31,000 And $48,000
Highest paying CityHartford, CTWashington, DC
Highest paying stateConnecticutConnecticut
Best paying companyNovartisMinnesota State Fair
Best paying industryProfessionalPharmaceutical

Differences between project management assistant and contract administrative assistant education

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

Project Management AssistantContract Administrative Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Project management assistant vs contract administrative assistant demographics

Here are the differences between project management assistants' and contract administrative assistants' demographics:

Project Management AssistantContract Administrative Assistant
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 33.3% Female, 66.7%Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage6%6%

Differences between project management assistant and contract administrative assistant 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.
  • Show more

Contract administrative assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
  • Orchestrate and design all RFP and RFQ proposals.
  • Issue RFQ's for subcontracts, evaluate proposals, award contracts and oversee through closeout.
  • Streamline staff scheduling through team management software (SharePoint) by coordinating schedules, meetings, and travel arrangements.
  • Transfer payroll and accounting paperwork to electronic form and index for future reference.
  • Assist in the creation and distribution of PowerPoint presentations for company executives and outside affiliates.
  • Show more

Project management assistant vs contract administrative assistant skills

Common project management assistant skills
  • Project Management, 32%
  • Purchase Orders, 7%
  • Financial Reports, 6%
  • Assist Project, 5%
  • Meeting Minutes, 5%
  • ISO, 4%
Common contract administrative assistant skills
  • Data Entry, 16%
  • Purchase Orders, 9%
  • PowerPoint, 9%
  • Expense Reports, 5%
  • SharePoint, 4%
  • Financial Reports, 4%

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