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The differences between purchasing administrative assistants and accounts payable/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 purchasing administrative assistant and an accounts payable/administrative assistant. Additionally, an accounts payable/administrative assistant has an average salary of $41,382, which is higher than the $37,889 average annual salary of a purchasing administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a purchasing administrative assistant include purchase orders, data entry and customer service. The most important skills for an accounts payable/administrative assistant are purchase orders, data entry, and vendor invoices.
| Purchasing Administrative Assistant | Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $37,889 | $41,382 |
| Hourly rate | $18.22 | $19.90 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 48,872 | 56,780 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Purchasing Administrative Assistants will require a high school diploma or GED, but an associate degree or higher is preferred, as well as three or more years in a purchasing role. This career will require skills in communication and negotiation, as well as a proven history of good supply management and the ability to create and administer task priority lists based on the needs of the respective company. Paying an average salary of $42K per year, but ranging between $37K and $49K, this career choice will demand the provision of support to the purchasing process and department staff, processing documents and materials and responding to inquiries, as well as maintaining information and inventories about vendors and sources.
An accounts payable/administrative assistant works alongside the department head. This position focuses on the administrative side of a budgeting department. They are responsible for organizing a company's financial records, which include all documentation of financial transactions, such as invoices and receipts. They also manage all paperwork needed by their department.
Purchasing administrative assistants and accounts payable/administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Purchasing Administrative Assistant | Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $37,889 | $41,382 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $48,000 | Between $30,000 And $56,000 |
| Highest paying City | Milpitas, CA | East Providence, RI |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Aspen Snowmass | Gypsum Management and Supply |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Construction |
There are a few differences between a purchasing administrative assistant and an accounts payable/administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Purchasing Administrative Assistant | Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between purchasing administrative assistants' and accounts payable/administrative assistants' demographics:
| Purchasing Administrative Assistant | Accounts Payable/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.3% Female, 91.7% | Male, 6.6% Female, 93.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |