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The differences between virtual 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 virtual assistant and an administrative assistant. Additionally, a virtual assistant has an average salary of $39,915, which is higher than the $34,945 average annual salary of an administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a virtual assistant include data entry, customer service and email management. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.
| Virtual Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $39,915 | $34,945 |
| Hourly rate | $19.19 | $16.80 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 49,508 | 65,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.14 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Virtual Assistants are remote workers who work with clients that need assistance. They usually do administrative or clerical activities such as managing soft copies of a document, writing e-mail correspondences, managing calendars, scheduling appointments, and other activities. They manage the e-mail of their clients and respond to inquiries and other messages. They also manage phone calls by answering calls, taking messages, and dialing for their clients. Virtual Assistants may also be asked to handle travel-related tasks of their clients, such as creating itineraries, booking flights, and booking hotels.
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.
Virtual assistants and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Virtual Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $39,915 | $34,945 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $54,000 | Between $26,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | IBM | Westfield State University |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a virtual assistant and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Virtual 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 virtual assistants' and administrative assistants' demographics:
| Virtual Assistant | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.5% 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% |