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The differences between virtual assistants and general 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 general assistant. Additionally, a virtual assistant has an average salary of $39,915, which is higher than the $37,718 average annual salary of a general assistant.
The top three skills for a virtual assistant include data entry, customer service and email management. The most important skills for a general assistant are customer service, HR, and payroll.
| Virtual Assistant | General Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $39,915 | $37,718 |
| Hourly rate | $19.19 | $18.13 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 49,508 | 66,211 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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.
General Assistants are responsible for providing administrative assistance to department teams and executive management of an organization. Their duties include organizing meetings and event schedules, book meeting rooms, answer incoming phone calls, reply emails, and respond to queries. They are responsible for replenishing office supplies and undertaking clerical tasks such as printing, scanning, and photocopying. General Assistants also liaise with contractors and building managers to ensure maintenance work is handled promptly without inconvenience.
Virtual assistants and general assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Virtual Assistant | General Assistant | |
| Average salary | $39,915 | $37,718 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $54,000 | Between $22,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Greenwich, CT |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | IBM | Massachusetts General Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a virtual assistant and a general assistant in terms of educational background:
| Virtual Assistant | General Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between virtual assistants' and general assistants' demographics:
| Virtual Assistant | General Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% | Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9% |
| 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, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |