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The differences between staff assistants and clerical/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 a clerical/administrative assistant. Additionally, a staff assistant has an average salary of $41,778, which is higher than the $30,983 average annual salary of a clerical/administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a staff assistant include customer service, patients and data entry. The most important skills for a clerical/administrative assistant are data entry, word processing, and payroll.
| Staff Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $41,778 | $30,983 |
| Hourly rate | $20.09 | $14.90 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 126,202 | 56,261 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| 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.
An administrative assistant, also known as a secretary or office clerk, is someone who carries out daily clerical and administrative tasks. Admin assistants do a variety of tasks such as answering phone calls, organizing files, maintaining contacts, schedule meetings and appointments, and many more. Their task can be extensive, depending on the needs of operations and higher management. They serve as a gatekeeper of the company, so strong verbal and written communication skills are a must. They should also exhibit great organizational skills and time management since they act as the resource of the company.
Staff assistants and clerical/administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $41,778 | $30,983 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $63,000 | Between $24,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bridgewater, MA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Washington |
| Best paying company | Massasoit Community College | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between a staff assistant and a clerical/administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Staff Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between staff assistants' and clerical/administrative assistants' demographics:
| Staff Assistant | Clerical/Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6% | Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |