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Senior office assistant vs executive assistant

The differences between senior office 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 office assistant and an executive assistant. Additionally, an executive assistant has an average salary of $50,539, which is higher than the $34,082 average annual salary of a senior office assistant.

The top three skills for a senior office assistant include data entry, patients and office procedures. The most important skills for an executive assistant are powerpoint, customer service, and phone calls.

Senior office assistant vs executive assistant overview

Senior Office AssistantExecutive Assistant
Yearly salary$34,082$50,539
Hourly rate$16.39$24.30
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs77,39093,116
Job satisfaction-4.4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age4949
Years of experience44

What does a senior office assistant do?

A senior office assistant performs clerical support tasks to maintain the smooth flow of operations in an office. Their responsibilities typically include supervising junior assistants, conducting research and analysis, preparing and processing documents, answering calls and correspondence, arranging schedules and events, confirming appointments, and helping staff as needed. They must also maintain an active communication line with different departments and participate in various projects. Moreover, as a senior office assistant, they must lead and serve as a role model to junior office assistants, all while implementing and promoting the company's policies and regulations.

What does an executive assistant do?

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 office assistant vs executive assistant salary

Senior office assistants and executive assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Senior Office AssistantExecutive Assistant
Average salary$34,082$50,539
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $44,000Between $35,000 And $71,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiNew York
Best paying companyBrigham and Women's HospitalMeta
Best paying industryTechnologyFinance

Differences between senior office assistant and executive assistant education

There are a few differences between a senior office assistant and an executive assistant in terms of educational background:

Senior Office AssistantExecutive Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Senior office assistant vs executive assistant demographics

Here are the differences between senior office assistants' and executive assistants' demographics:

Senior Office AssistantExecutive Assistant
Average age4949
Gender ratioMale, 17.3% Female, 82.7%Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage10%10%

Differences between senior office assistant and executive assistant duties and responsibilities

Senior office assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
  • Help implement EMR and eScript.
  • Design photo display boards, CD covers and PowerPoint presentations for educational purposes.
  • Obtain insurance/payment information from patients.
  • Communicate effectively pertinent information to Medical/Office staff and patients.
  • Create and maintain time cards for several individuals and submit payroll requisitions.
  • Show more

Executive assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage and maintain AVP calendar and schedule using independent judgment.
  • Manage and review WinStar (KRONOS) time clock hours for hourly union employees.
  • Organize and manage administrative, audio/visual (WebEx, GoToMeeting), and catering of department meetings.
  • Manage the scope of accounting processes including billing, bookkeeping and expense data management with strong oversight of A/R and A/P.
  • Create and manage executive presentations using Visio and PowerPoint.
  • Compile, manage and organize travel and expense reports processing and submitting reports using PeopleSoft for reimbursement.
  • Show more

Senior office assistant vs executive assistant skills

Common senior office assistant skills
  • Data Entry, 11%
  • Patients, 9%
  • Office Procedures, 8%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Word Processing, 6%
  • Telephone Calls, 6%
Common executive assistant skills
  • PowerPoint, 13%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Phone Calls, 6%
  • Calendar Management, 6%
  • Administrative Tasks, 3%
  • Financial Reports, 3%

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