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The differences between virtual assistants and business 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 a business assistant. Additionally, a business assistant has an average salary of $42,247, 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 business assistant are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Virtual Assistant | Business Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $39,915 | $42,247 |
| Hourly rate | $19.19 | $20.31 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 49,508 | 98,348 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| 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.
A business assistant is responsible for supporting various office functions, performing administrative and clerical duties to ensure efficient and smooth business operations, and provide high-quality services to the customers and business partners. Business assistants handle data processing procedures, writing business transaction reports, and coordinating with suppliers and third-party vendors for any requests made by the company. They welcome visitors, verify their appointments, and direct them to the appropriate personnel or department for their business concerns. A business assistant also schedules a meeting, assist in accounting and human resources tasks, and support the executives on corporate decisions.
Virtual assistants and business assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Virtual Assistant | Business Assistant | |
| Average salary | $39,915 | $42,247 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $54,000 | Between $29,000 And $60,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Oregon |
| Best paying company | IBM | Whitney Museum of American Art |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a virtual assistant and a business assistant in terms of educational background:
| Virtual Assistant | Business Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between virtual assistants' and business assistants' demographics:
| Virtual Assistant | Business Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% | Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |