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The differences between senior administrative assistants and administrative assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a senior administrative assistant, becoming an administrative assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior administrative assistant has an average salary of $46,790, which is higher than the $34,945 average annual salary of an administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a senior administrative assistant include powerpoint, customer service and clerical support. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.
| Senior Administrative Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $46,790 | $34,945 |
| Hourly rate | $22.50 | $16.80 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 43,226 | 65,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.14 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 49 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A senior administrative assistant's role is to accomplish clerical tasks to support senior managers. Such tasks involve preparing and processing documents, responding to inquiries and other forms of correspondence, arranging travel and appointments, attending meetings, and managing schedules. Furthermore, a senior administrative assistant must maintain a precise record system, serve as the main point of contact for office visitors, and prepare budget reports and other business plans. It is also essential to coordinate with various company personnel, ensuring accuracy in all activities and projects.
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.
Senior administrative assistants and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Administrative Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $46,790 | $34,945 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $62,000 | Between $26,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Westfield State University |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | - |
There are a few differences between a senior administrative assistant and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Senior Administrative Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between senior administrative assistants' and administrative assistants' demographics:
| Senior Administrative Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 49 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.0% Female, 92.0% | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 10% | 6% |