Purchasing administrative assistant vs administrative support assistant

The differences between purchasing administrative assistants and administrative support 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 support assistant. Additionally, a purchasing administrative assistant has an average salary of $37,889, which is higher than the $36,341 average annual salary of an administrative support 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 support assistant are customer service, provides administrative support, and data entry.

Purchasing administrative assistant vs administrative support assistant overview

	Purchasing Administrative Assistant	Administrative Support Assistant
Yearly salary	$37,889	$36,341
Hourly rate	$18.22	$17.47
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	48,872	118,512
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
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 support assistant do?

Administrative support assistants are individuals who provide support to employees and managers. They provide assistance in general functions in various administrative or academic units. Their primary duties involve the management and dissemination of information within an organization. They take memos, maintain files, and answer phone calls. They should develop skills in technology, written and verbal communication, independence, and organization. Excellent skills in problem-solving, time management, and attention to detail are also important.

Purchasing administrative assistant vs administrative support assistant salary

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

	Purchasing Administrative Assistant	Administrative Support Assistant
Average salary	$37,889	$36,341
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $48,000	Between $29,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Milpitas, CA	SeaTac, WA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	Aspen Snowmass	Brookhaven National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Construction	Government

Differences between purchasing administrative assistant and administrative support assistant education

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

	Purchasing Administrative Assistant	Administrative Support Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Purchasing administrative assistant vs administrative support assistant demographics

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

	Purchasing Administrative Assistant	Administrative Support Assistant
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 8.3% Female, 91.7%	Male, 16.6% Female, 83.4%
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, 9.3% 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%

Differences between purchasing administrative assistant and administrative support 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 support assistant example responsibilities.

Participate in committee meetings by preparing minutes and presentation summaries, planning meeting agendas, and organizing and managing meeting logistics.
Coordinate highly confidential and sensitive material relate to employee relations, payroll and personnel actions.
Complete diverse administrative tasks accurately and efficiently including verification of insurance information, payroll administration, and coordination of department meetings.
Create PowerPoint's of upcoming activities/events to distribute to departments/teams.
Interview patients and determine primary need of interest by providing assistance to other responsible personnel.
Maintain a database with confidential information regarding patients and providing medication for the HIV/AIDS section.

Purchasing administrative assistant vs administrative support 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 support assistant skills

Customer Service, 15%
Provides Administrative Support, 6%
Data Entry, 6%
Patients, 5%
Travel Arrangements, 4%
Phone Calls, 4%

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Purchasing Administrative Assistant
Purchasing Administrative Assistant vs Administrative Support Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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