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The differences between senior administrative specialists and administrative support specialists 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 specialist, becoming an administrative support specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior administrative specialist has an average salary of $43,864, which is higher than the $38,244 average annual salary of an administrative support specialist.
The top three skills for a senior administrative specialist include powerpoint, logistics and travel arrangements. The most important skills for an administrative support specialist are customer service, data entry, and patients.
| Senior Administrative Specialist | Administrative Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $43,864 | $38,244 |
| Hourly rate | $21.09 | $18.39 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 57,049 | 139,654 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 49 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A senior administrative specialist is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support business operations and ensuring the efficient and timely submission of outputs and business reports. Senior administrative specialists assist the executive management in tracking appointments and travels, coordinating with the client for scheduled meetings, negotiating contracts with suppliers and third-party vendors, and responding to clients' inquiries and concerns or leading them to the correct personnel for their business needs. A senior administrative specialist must be highly communicative and organizational to do tasks within deadlines and under minimal supervision.
An administrative support specialist is an individual who is involved in the office management, clerical tasks, and back-office duties of an organization. To run the office smoothly, administrative support specialists must manage the purchasing and inventory of office supplies as well as schedule the maintenance of office equipment. They serve as a liaison for executives by screening incoming calls and emails, sorting mails, and setting appointments with employees, customers, and vendors. Administrative support specialists must also be able to draft memos and edit report proposals and other business documents.
Senior administrative specialists and administrative support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Administrative Specialist | Administrative Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $43,864 | $38,244 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $68,000 | Between $29,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Beverly Hills, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | BNY Mellon | King County |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a senior administrative specialist and an administrative support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Administrative Specialist | Administrative Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between senior administrative specialists' and administrative support specialists' demographics:
| Senior Administrative Specialist | Administrative Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 49 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.4% Female, 80.6% | Male, 20.5% Female, 79.5% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 6% |