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The differences between staff assistants and administrative assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a staff assistant and an administrative assistant. Additionally, a staff assistant has an average salary of $41,778, which is higher than the $34,945 average annual salary of an administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a staff assistant include customer service, patients and data entry. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.
| Staff Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $41,778 | $34,945 |
| Hourly rate | $20.09 | $16.80 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 126,202 | 65,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.14 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
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.
Staff assistants and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $41,778 | $34,945 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $63,000 | Between $26,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bridgewater, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Massasoit Community College | Westfield State University |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a staff assistant and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Staff Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between staff assistants' and administrative assistants' demographics:
| Staff Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6% | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 6% | 6% |