Purchasing administrative assistant vs administrative assistant

The differences between purchasing administrative assistants and 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 administrative assistant. Additionally, a purchasing administrative assistant has an average salary of $37,889, which is higher than the $34,945 average annual salary of an 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 administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.

Purchasing administrative assistant vs administrative assistant overview

	Purchasing Administrative Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary	$37,889	$34,945
Hourly rate	$18.22	$16.80
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	48,872	65,769
Job satisfaction	-	4.14
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	2	2

What does a purchasing administrative assistant do?

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.

What does an administrative assistant do?

Administrative assistants, or admin assistants, do general clerical and administrative activities. Their duties involve organizing and maintaining files and records, preparing documents, scheduling meetings and appointments, and providing general support in the office. Administrative assistants handle incoming and outgoing official correspondences, take minutes of important meetings and manage calls to the main office number. They also assist executives in providing structure to their day by managing their schedule, drafting e-mails, and other activities that executives may need assistance in. Administrative assistants should have the following skills: organizing, business writing, decision-making, and communication.

Purchasing administrative assistant vs administrative assistant salary

Purchasing administrative assistants and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Purchasing Administrative Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Average salary	$37,889	$34,945
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $48,000	Between $26,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Milpitas, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	Aspen Snowmass	Westfield State University
Best paying industry	Construction	-

Differences between purchasing administrative assistant and administrative assistant education

There are a few differences between a purchasing administrative assistant and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:

	Purchasing Administrative Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Purchasing administrative assistant vs administrative assistant demographics

Here are the differences between purchasing administrative assistants' and administrative assistants' demographics:

	Purchasing Administrative Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 8.3% Female, 91.7%	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%
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, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between purchasing administrative assistant and administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Purchasing administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Support medical doctors, manage sensitive and confidential records pertaining to high risk patients with emphasis on accuracy.
Prepare purchase orders, review requisitions, supply requests and MRP purchase reports.
Assess and close A/P, A/R monthly.
Support A/P by resolving invoice problems.
Verify shipments and check into ERP system.
Certify to internally audit group for ISO compliance.

Administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Manage time and attendance using Kronos software for entire department.
Participate in national projects, manage new customer conversions to MCI from other carriers.
Manage FEDEX delivery requirements ensuring compliance with company policy.
Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
Manage company finances using QuickBooks software, including monitoring the operating budget and collecting on unpaid invoices.
Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.

Purchasing administrative assistant vs administrative assistant skills

Common purchasing administrative assistant skills

Purchase Orders, 33%
Data Entry, 9%
Customer Service, 9%
Provides Administrative Support, 4%
Office Equipment, 4%
Travel Arrangements, 3%

Common administrative assistant skills

Customer Service, 14%
Data Entry, 11%
PowerPoint, 6%
Travel Arrangements, 5%
Database Management, 5%
Word Processing, 5%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Purchasing Administrative Assistant
Purchasing Administrative Assistant vs Administrative Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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