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The differences between senior administrative assistants and executive assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a senior administrative assistant and an executive assistant. Additionally, an executive assistant has an average salary of $50,539, which is higher than the $46,790 average annual salary of a senior administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a senior administrative assistant include powerpoint, customer service and clerical support. The most important skills for an executive assistant are powerpoint, customer service, and phone calls.
| Senior Administrative Assistant | Executive Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $46,790 | $50,539 |
| Hourly rate | $22.50 | $24.30 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 43,226 | 93,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Executive assistants are employees who are assigned to work under the supervision of company executives. They manage the activities of the executives they are assigned to by manning the executive's calendar, scheduling appointments, setting meetings, ensuring that the executives are familiar with their schedule for the day, and taking note of any deliverable that may be needed. They are also responsible for taking care of any document or paperwork that the executive needs, as well as preparing presentation materials or briefers for meetings. Executive assistants are also usually exposed to actual company operations to further understand how the business works and to be of better help to the executive.
Senior administrative assistants and executive assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Administrative Assistant | Executive Assistant | |
| Average salary | $46,790 | $50,539 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $62,000 | Between $35,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior administrative assistant and an executive assistant in terms of educational background:
| Senior Administrative Assistant | Executive Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between senior administrative assistants' and executive assistants' demographics:
| Senior Administrative Assistant | Executive Assistant | |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.0% Female, 92.0% | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% |
| 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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |