Executive Assistant vs Administrative Assistant

If you are putting up or starting to run a business, then you will most probably need someone who is efficient enough to ensure that all your management tasks are done. Now, you should know that finding the right person for the job can be tricky, because depending on your organizational structure and processes, you may have to choose between an executive assistant and an administrative assistant. As you can see, these two positions are often confused with each other, and if you do not have sufficient knowledge about their specific duties and necessary attributes, you might find yourself hiring the wrong person. This means that you have to gather as much information as possible about them to avoid such unfavorable situation.

Job Overviews for Both Positions

While an administrative assistant basically aids in running an office and handling clerical duties, this professional often progresses to become an executive assistant, where assisting company executives will be added to his existing roles and responsibilities. Generally, the duties of these two positions are virtually similar, but executive assistants typically take on more important tasks than administrative assistants. Even so, one who is placed in either of these positions will likely be working with office equipment and supplies, such as a computer, telephone system, copier, printer, fax machine, etc. Training new employees could be a task of both of these professionals. But still, there are certain duties that make one of them distinct from the other.

Distinctive Roles and Responsibilities

As for the executive assistant, his work is typically more focused on meeting the needs of the executives that he is working for. It would be his responsibility to manage daily schedules and set up personal appointments for the executives or high-level individuals in the organization, as well as prepare slides and demos his bosses will use. Moreover, he may also be given the authority to oversee other staff members in the office, monitoring their projects.

On the other hand, an administrative assistant’s roles and responsibilities would often include scheduling meetings, maintaining documents and files, entering business data into a computer database, answering phone calls and directing visitors. This professional can extend his specializations to other specific areas, such as medicine or law. As for a medical administrative assistant, he will be responsible for filing medical records, handling pharmacy calls and greeting patients, while a legal administrative assistant will be the one who conducts basic research and organizes legal documents under the supervision of a paralegal or an attorney.

Key Differences

Generally, there is a big difference between an executive assistant and an administrative assistant, where the former usually makes more money and enjoys more prestige than the latter. The primary reason for this is that an executive assistant caters to executives, basically serving as the right hand of his boss, such as the president, vice president, chief executive officer (CEO) and the chief financial officer (CFO). As for the administrative assistant, he generally deals with routine tasks that are necessary to keep a company in order, which can include, but not limited to, scheduling meetings, filing, answering phone calls and entertaining visitors. However, it does not mean that the administrative assistant’s tasks cannot be assigned to an executive assistant, as they most probably can. Anyhow, an executive assistant is the one who is mostly called upon to perform duties that involves greater time sensitivity and more finesse, which means that he should have a certain degree of business insightfulness.

Also, executive assistants are typically responsible for all administrative formalities of business management and are usually associated with only one individual, such as a director or an executive, in a large company and all executives in smaller businesses. This professional needs to be able to carry out all the requests of the managers and often serves as the last barrier before the executive office, which means that he can be secretive when it comes to handling confidential information, while trying to be discreet at all times. He devotes his career to assisting corporate officials, not only providing administrative support, but professional advice as well. In most cases, executives treat this professional as the go-to individual for ideas, recommendations and confidential help. But like other positions in an organization, his duties and responsibilities will also vary according to the company’s ruling culture.

In terms of education, employers generally prefer hiring an executive assistant who have a 4-year degree in business or any related field, while an administrative assistant only needs a high school diploma with basic office and computer skills to qualify for relevant entry-level positions.

As for salary, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics showed that the average salary for executive assistants as of May 2011 was $23.13 an hour, while it was $16.66 for administrative assistants. Based on these figures, the yearly figures for executive assistants would be over $13,000 more than what administrative assistants would make.

Environments Where They Are More Efficient

In a small office, the duties and responsibilities of an executive assistant or an administrative assistant are usually carried out by various staff members, where actually, some tasks are done by the executives themselves. In a medium-sized work environment, they need to be highly organized and have the set of skills to perform a variety of tasks. This is especially true for company executives who need to maintain a high level of confidentiality and integrity for the betterment of the venture they are pursuing. As for a large office, it normally needs to have both an executive assistant and an administrative assistant, as it is very important to have someone who can manage the office and another to coordinate individuals directly serving the executives. In some cases, the one who will go with an executive on business trips is the administrative assistant, with the purpose helping him manage his schedules, meeting arrangements and organizational tasks.

All in all, both these job titles provide advanced administrative support for managers and executives. What distinguishes their duties and responsibilities is that one requires more routine and clerical tasks, while the other involves a high level of confidentiality and responsibility.