What does a Business Administrative Assistant do?

A business administrative assistant is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support business functions and operations. Business administrative assistants manage day-to-day business transactions by responding to clients' emails and phone calls, greeting guests, filing and submitting reports, scheduling appointments and business travels, monitoring inventories, and sending out communications across the organization as needed. They also operate the data management system for customer and client information reference by following strict protocols and data protection procedures.
Business administrative assistant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real business administrative assistant resumes:
- Manage special projects including creating PowerPoint presentations, providing budget information, and departmental planning.
- Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
- Process payments for vendors utilizing QuickBooks.
- Design effective PowerPoint presentations/handouts, working closely with senior management.
- Produce payroll reports, verify payroll and electronically submit for processing.
- Reconcile bank statements with QuickBooks systems and ensure all transactions are properly document.
- Hire and train human resources and payroll coordinator, district bookkeeper and administrative assistant.
- Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
- Review process Medicaid applications and renewals by coordinating the start of service date with the Medicaid eligibility data.
Business administrative assistant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Business Administrative Assistants are proficient in PowerPoint, Data Entry, and Provides Administrative Support. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Organizational skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Business Administrative Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- PowerPoint, 11%
Coordinate Bi-Weekly meetings for the Maritime and Logistics Division and work with designated Manger on PowerPoint presentation.
- Data Entry, 10%
Developed extensive data entry experience through updating the university alumni information in the university alumni database.
- Provides Administrative Support, 8%
Manage Executive member of management schedule and provides administrative support to alternate management as well as clients.
- Expense Reports, 8%
Answer phones-Code and process invoices for payment-process payroll-Greet guest-File -Take attendance of students-run errands-Mentor students-Assist with fundraisers-Process expense reports for employees
- Purchase Orders, 5%
Developed daily reports, issued purchase orders and coordinated supply ordering.
- Financial Reports, 5%
Prepared financial reports, developed and facilitated budgets, and performed variance analysis in accordance with organization goals.
Most business administrative assistants use their skills in "powerpoint," "data entry," and "provides administrative support" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential business administrative assistant responsibilities here:
Interpersonal skills. The most essential soft skill for a business administrative assistant to carry out their responsibilities is interpersonal skills. This skill is important for the role because "secretaries and administrative assistants interact with clients, customers, or staff." Additionally, a business administrative assistant resume shows how their duties depend on interpersonal skills: "learned general concepts of recruiting, office management, and interpersonal interaction. "
Organizational skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling business administrative assistant duties is organizational skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "secretaries and administrative assistants keep files, folders, and schedules in order so that an office runs efficiently." According to a business administrative assistant resume, here's how business administrative assistants can utilize organizational skills in their job responsibilities: "prepared financial statements and all year-end reports for submission to organizational leadership. "
Writing skills. business administrative assistants are also known for writing skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to business administrative assistant responsibilities, because "secretaries and administrative assistants write memos and emails when communicating with managers, employees, and customers." A business administrative assistant resume example shows how writing skills is used in the workplace: "trained new agents on office procedures, writing up contracts, and computer programs needed to be successful. "
The three companies that hire the most business administrative assistants are:
- Bank of America5 business administrative assistants jobs
- Goldman Sachs4 business administrative assistants jobs
- Sony Pictures4 business administrative assistants jobs
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Business administrative assistant vs. Staff assistant
A staff assistant is a company employee who is tasked to support and help staff members to adequately fill their roles and assuring that the organization is running efficiently. Working under an administrative supervisor, an assistant's tasks include answering phone calls, scheduling meetings or appointments, and booking the necessary travels. Moreover, an assistant should have excellent skills in written and verbal communication and is highly organized with minimal supervision. An assistant may be able to work in a wide variety of settings, which includes healthcare facilities and government offices.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, business administrative assistant responsibilities require skills like "purchase orders," "business development," "business administration," and "calendar management." Meanwhile a typical staff assistant has skills in areas such as "customer service," "patients," "office procedures," and "veterans." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Staff assistants earn the highest salaries when working in the professional industry, with an average yearly salary of $50,475. On the other hand, business administrative assistants are paid more in the finance industry with an average salary of $42,701.staff assistants tend to reach similar levels of education than business administrative assistants. In fact, staff assistants are 1.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Business administrative assistant vs. General assistant
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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, business administrative assistant responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "data entry," "provides administrative support," "purchase orders," and "financial reports." Meanwhile, a general assistant has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "general assistance," "dental procedures," and "general maintenance." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
General assistants may earn a lower salary than business administrative assistants, but general assistants earn the most pay in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $34,445. On the other hand, business administrative assistants receive higher pay in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $42,701.In general, general assistants achieve similar levels of education than business administrative assistants. They're 0.9% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Business administrative assistant vs. Administrative support
Administrative support specialists provide different types of governmental assistance. They carry out varied clerical duties in almost all industries. Most of these duties revolve around supervising and distributing information within an organization. This typically includes taking memos, answering phone calls, and managing, storing, and organizing files. They are also responsible for receiving and sending correspondence and greeting customers and clients. Some administrative support may be required to have vast professional knowledge as their duties are more specialized than the others.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from business administrative assistant resumes include skills like "business development," "business administration," "calendar management," and "business operations," whereas an administrative support is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "phone calls," "patients," and "excellent organizational. "
Administrative supports make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $40,623. On the other hand, business administrative assistants are paid the highest salary in the finance industry, with average annual pay of $42,701.Most administrative supports achieve a similar degree level compared to business administrative assistants. For example, they're 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Business administrative assistant vs. Administrative staff
As the administrative staff, they primarily provide administrative and secretarial support for the department. Typically, they do report-writing, filing and scheduling, and payroll. They plan department weekly meetings, schedule conference calls, and work on solving administrative related concerns and issues. They do a complex task that involves multi-tasking from the preparation of department reports, analyzing data, and finding solutions. It is a requirement to be an experienced, collaborator, and trained cross-functional communicator. Moreover, other duties will include scheduling company-initiated activities, meetings, and events.
Types of business administrative assistant
Updated January 8, 2025