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The differences between virtual assistants and administrative assistants/personal 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/personal assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant/personal assistant has an average salary of $40,751, which is higher than the $39,915 average annual salary of a virtual 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/personal assistant are payroll, scheduling appointments, and financial statements.
| Virtual Assistant | Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $39,915 | $40,751 |
| Hourly rate | $19.19 | $19.59 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 49,508 | 70,276 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| 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.
An Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant performs daily and time management tasks, meeting schedules, note-taking, and correspondence. Administrative Assistants answer and direct phone calls to the appropriate staff. They are in charge of ordering and purchasing office supply stocks. Their duties and responsibilities depend on the company and the industry they are working for. They serve as the point of contact for external stakeholders and staff. They must develop professionalism, inventory control, and administrative writing skills.
Virtual assistants and administrative assistants/personal assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Virtual Assistant | Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | |
| Average salary | $39,915 | $40,751 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $54,000 | Between $30,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | - |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | - |
| Best paying company | IBM | - |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a virtual assistant and an administrative assistant/personal assistant in terms of educational background:
| Virtual Assistant | Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between virtual assistants' and administrative assistants/personal assistants' demographics:
| Virtual Assistant | Administrative Assistant/Personal Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |