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The differences between senior staff assistants and 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 staff assistant, becoming an administrative assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior staff assistant has an average salary of $57,821, which is higher than the $34,945 average annual salary of an administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a senior staff assistant include data entry, patient care and provides administrative support. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.
| Senior Staff Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $57,821 | $34,945 |
| Hourly rate | $27.80 | $16.80 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 97,922 | 65,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.14 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 49 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A senior staff assistant provides help with administrative tasks. Generally, they schedule appointments and answer calls and emails. They are also responsible for organizing paperwork. They may have to schedule meetings, arrange travel accommodations, and act as a liaison with human resources.
Administrative assistants, or admin assistants, do general clerical and administrative activities. Their duties involve organizing and maintaining files and records, preparing documents, scheduling meetings and appointments, and providing general support in the office. Administrative assistants handle incoming and outgoing official correspondences, take minutes of important meetings and manage calls to the main office number. They also assist executives in providing structure to their day by managing their schedule, drafting e-mails, and other activities that executives may need assistance in. Administrative assistants should have the following skills: organizing, business writing, decision-making, and communication.
Senior staff assistants and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Staff Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $57,821 | $34,945 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $87,000 | Between $26,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Westfield State University | |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a senior staff assistant and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Senior Staff Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between senior staff assistants' and administrative assistants' demographics:
| Senior Staff Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 49 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.8% Female, 80.2% | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% |
| 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, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 6% |