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The differences between senior office assistants and staff 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 office assistant, becoming a staff assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a staff assistant has an average salary of $41,778, 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 a staff assistant are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Senior Office Assistant | Staff Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $34,082 | $41,778 |
| Hourly rate | $16.39 | $20.09 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 77,390 | 126,202 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 49 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
A staff assistant is a company employee who is tasked to support and help staff members to adequately fill their roles and assuring that the organization is running efficiently. Working under an administrative supervisor, an assistant's tasks include answering phone calls, scheduling meetings or appointments, and booking the necessary travels. Moreover, an assistant should have excellent skills in written and verbal communication and is highly organized with minimal supervision. An assistant may be able to work in a wide variety of settings, which includes healthcare facilities and government offices.
Senior office assistants and staff assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Office Assistant | Staff Assistant | |
| Average salary | $34,082 | $41,778 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $44,000 | Between $27,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Bridgewater, MA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Massasoit Community College |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a senior office assistant and a staff assistant in terms of educational background:
| Senior Office Assistant | Staff Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between senior office assistants' and staff assistants' demographics:
| Senior Office Assistant | Staff Assistant | |
| Average age | 49 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 17.3% Female, 82.7% | Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6% |
| 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, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 6% |