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The differences between virtual assistants and bookkeepers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a virtual assistant, becoming a bookkeeper takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a bookkeeper has an average salary of $40,337, 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 a bookkeeper are payroll tax returns, customer service, and reconciliations.
| Virtual Assistant | Bookkeeper | |
| Yearly salary | $39,915 | $40,337 |
| Hourly rate | $19.19 | $19.39 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 49,508 | 38,481 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 50 | 51 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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.
Bookkeepers are employees who are in charge of the company's general ledger. They are well-versed in basic accounting principles, and they apply these in their work. Bookkeepers manage the entry of items in the general ledger, assign items into their proper categories, and ensure that the entries are balanced. They also act as auditors by checking the accuracy and veracity of the receipts or vouchers in their possession before entering them into the system. Bookkeepers ensure that their files are up to date and free of errors.
Virtual assistants and bookkeepers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Virtual Assistant | Bookkeeper | |
| Average salary | $39,915 | $40,337 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $54,000 | Between $30,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New York |
| Best paying company | IBM | NTT Data International L.L.C. |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a virtual assistant and a bookkeeper in terms of educational background:
| Virtual Assistant | Bookkeeper | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Accounting |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between virtual assistants' and bookkeepers' demographics:
| Virtual Assistant | Bookkeeper | |
| Average age | 50 | 51 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% | Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6% |
| 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, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 7% |