Senior staff assistant vs department assistant

The differences between senior staff assistants and department 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 a department assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior staff assistant has an average salary of $57,821, which is higher than the $40,698 average annual salary of a department assistant.

The top three skills for a senior staff assistant include data entry, patient care and provides administrative support. The most important skills for a department assistant are patients, customer service, and data entry.

Senior staff assistant vs department assistant overview

	Senior Staff Assistant	Department Assistant
Yearly salary	$57,821	$40,698
Hourly rate	$27.80	$19.57
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	97,922	88,268
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	49	50
Years of experience	4	2

What does a senior staff assistant do?

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.

What does a department assistant do?

A department assistant is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support and ensure the smooth operations of an entire department. Department assistants manage meeting calendars, book travel appointments, assist with company events, respond to clients' inquiries and requests through phone calls or personal visits, update customer records, organize electronic files, create business proposals, and monitor supplies. A department assistant must have excellent organizational and communication skills, as well as the ability to multitask under minimal supervision.

Senior staff assistant vs department assistant salary

Senior staff assistants and department assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Staff Assistant	Department Assistant
Average salary	$57,821	$40,698
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $87,000	Between $24,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Google	Dorsey & Whitney
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between senior staff assistant and department assistant education

There are a few differences between a senior staff assistant and a department assistant in terms of educational background:

	Senior Staff Assistant	Department Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Senior staff assistant vs department assistant demographics

Here are the differences between senior staff assistants' and department assistants' demographics:

	Senior Staff Assistant	Department Assistant
Average age	49	50
Gender ratio	Male, 19.8% Female, 80.2%	Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0%
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, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	10%	6%

Differences between senior staff assistant and department assistant duties and responsibilities

Senior staff assistant example responsibilities.

Manage and coordinate complex internal and external meetings and/or events via videoconferencing, WebEx and teleconference calls.
Prepare bi-weekly timekeeping for payroll processing and maintain PTO tracking.
Serve as HIPAA liaison for office.
Ensure compliance of HIPAA regulations and confidentiality practices are being follow.
Provide technical oversight and AV/Teleconference support for meetings.
Operate audio visual equipment and PowerPoint presentations at meetings.

Department assistant example responsibilities.

Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
Team player/adaptable HIPPA compliant, CPR certify.
Maintain and process Kronos time and attendance records for department employees.
Perform CPR and assist in critical care room with traumas and arrests.
Clean windows, glass partitions, or mirrors, using soapy water or other cleaners.
Prepare and submit time to Kronos system biweekly and Lawson swift maker schedule for staff.

Senior staff assistant vs department assistant skills

Common senior staff assistant skills

Data Entry, 14%
Patient Care, 10%
Provides Administrative Support, 10%
Payroll, 9%
Meeting Minutes, 6%
Financial Statements, 5%

Common department assistant skills

Patients, 15%
Customer Service, 15%
Data Entry, 8%
Word Processing, 6%
Purchase Orders, 5%
Payroll, 4%

Senior Staff Assistant vs. similar jobs

Senior Staff Assistant related careers

Senior Staff Assistant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Senior Staff Assistant
Senior Staff Assistant vs Department Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs