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Virtual assistant vs office employee

The differences between virtual assistants and office employees 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 office employee. Additionally, a virtual assistant has an average salary of $39,915, which is higher than the $35,825 average annual salary of an office employee.

The top three skills for a virtual assistant include data entry, customer service and email management. The most important skills for an office employee are customer service, telephone calls, and customer accounts.

Virtual assistant vs office employee overview

Virtual AssistantOffice Employee
Yearly salary$39,915$35,825
Hourly rate$19.19$17.22
Growth rate-8%-5%
Number of jobs49,50874,182
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age5047
Years of experience22

What does a virtual assistant do?

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.

What does an office employee do?

An office employee is someone who performs clerical and any other tasks usually performed by managers. Office employees are employed as clerical workers in offices or organizations. They execute tasks such as typing and word processing, answering phone calls, bookkeeping, and stenography. It is their responsibility to ensure the smooth daily operations of an office. Their diligence, communication skills, customer service, hard work, and attention to detail are necessary for this job.

Virtual assistant vs office employee salary

Virtual assistants and office employees have different pay scales, as shown below.

Virtual AssistantOffice Employee
Average salary$39,915$35,825
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $54,000Between $19,000 And $64,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCEast Palo Alto, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiCalifornia
Best paying companyIBMOSF HealthCare
Best paying industryProfessionalProfessional

Differences between virtual assistant and office employee education

There are a few differences between a virtual assistant and an office employee in terms of educational background:

Virtual AssistantOffice Employee
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Virtual assistant vs office employee demographics

Here are the differences between virtual assistants' and office employees' demographics:

Virtual AssistantOffice Employee
Average age5047
Gender ratioMale, 12.4% Female, 87.6%Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6%
Race ratioBlack 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, 9.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between virtual assistant and office employee duties and responsibilities

Virtual assistant example responsibilities.

  • Organize and manage client's social media using Hootsuite.
  • Manage payments and receipts in QuickBooks, manage bank deposits.
  • Manage the LinkedIn account and network of a human resources professional.
  • Assist in managing client accounts via twitter, Facebook, and link in.
  • Manage emails, voice mail, Skype, chat, and twitter correspondence.
  • Manage social media pages as well as the business Facebook page and group page.
    • Show more

Office employee example responsibilities.

  • Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
  • Complete payroll by compiling hours and verifying submissions weekly, via QuickBooks.
  • File paperwork, organize PowerPoint presentations, assist with typing correspondence and fax documents to appropriate destination.
  • Demonstrate ability to maintain composure and work efficiently in a fast-pace environment while following HIPAA guidelines.

Virtual assistant vs office employee skills

Common virtual assistant skills
  • Data Entry, 9%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Email Management, 8%
  • Booking, 7%
  • Website Maintenance, 6%
  • Zoom, 6%
Common office employee skills
  • Customer Service, 72%
  • Telephone Calls, 5%
  • Customer Accounts, 4%
  • Medical Billing, 4%
  • Computer System, 2%
  • Front Desk, 1%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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