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The differences between senior administrative assistants and contract 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 a contract 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 $39,073 average annual salary of a contract administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a senior administrative assistant include powerpoint, customer service and clerical support. The most important skills for a contract administrative assistant are data entry, purchase orders, and powerpoint.
| Senior Administrative Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $46,790 | $39,073 |
| Hourly rate | $22.50 | $18.79 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 43,226 | 64,677 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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.
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.
Senior administrative assistants and contract administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Administrative Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $46,790 | $39,073 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $62,000 | Between $31,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Minnesota State Fair |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a senior administrative assistant and a contract administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Senior Administrative Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between senior administrative assistants' and contract administrative assistants' demographics:
| Senior Administrative Assistant | Contract Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 49 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.0% Female, 92.0% | Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 6% |