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The differences between service representatives and administrative assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a service representative, becoming an administrative assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an administrative assistant has an average salary of $34,945, which is higher than the $33,692 average annual salary of a service representative.
The top three skills for a service representative include customer service, client service and patients. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.
| Service Representative | Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $33,692 | $34,945 |
| Hourly rate | $16.20 | $16.80 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 210,671 | 65,769 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4.14 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 40 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
Service representatives handle customer inquiries, requests, complaints, and other general feedback. They are usually the first point of contact with the company's customers. Service representatives are expected to be familiar with all of the company's products so that they can answer all inquiries made by the customers. They should also be familiar with company policies and guidelines on sales and customer handling so that they can address concerns and feedback. They are usually the ones who try to resolve customer complaints by sending issues to applicable departments and ensuring that customers are satisfied with the company's products and services.
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.
Service representatives and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Representative | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $33,692 | $34,945 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $45,000 | Between $26,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Northern Trust | Westfield State University |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a service representative and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Service Representative | Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between service representatives' and administrative assistants' demographics:
| Service Representative | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 40 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.6% Female, 60.4% | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 6.8% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 7% | 6% |