Administrative assistant to the dean vs senior secretary

The differences between administrative assistant to the deans and senior secretaries can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an administrative assistant to the dean, becoming a senior secretary takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an administrative assistant to the dean has an average salary of $49,362, which is higher than the $33,120 average annual salary of a senior secretary.

The top three skills for an administrative assistant to the dean include travel arrangements, phone calls and scheduling appointments. The most important skills for a senior secretary are patients, routine correspondence, and data entry.

Administrative assistant to the dean vs senior secretary overview

	Administrative Assistant To The Dean	Senior Secretary
Yearly salary	$49,362	$33,120
Hourly rate	$23.73	$15.92
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	11,116	37,284
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	50	49
Years of experience	2	4

What does an administrative assistant to the dean do?

An administrative assistant to the dean primarily performs administrative and clerical support tasks related to the daily operations of a college or university. Their responsibilities usually include handling calls and correspondence, preparing and processing documents, receiving and organizing files, overseeing schedules, arranging appointments, and running errands as needed. They also assist the dean in writing proposals and other reports, supervising student workers, and coordinating activities. Moreover, an administrative assistant to the dean maintains an active communication line with different offices for an efficient workflow.

What does a senior secretary do?

A Senior Secretary is responsible for maintaining office records, receiving and directing telephone calls, and writing various reports for managers. They also schedule appointments and meetings for supervisors and assist in the process of new hires.

Administrative assistant to the dean vs senior secretary salary

Administrative assistant to the deans and senior secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Administrative Assistant To The Dean	Senior Secretary
Average salary	$49,362	$33,120
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $94,000	Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Santa Cruz, CA	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	California	Hawaii
Best paying company	Columbus College of Art & Design	Columbia University in the City of New York
Best paying industry	Education	Pharmaceutical

Differences between administrative assistant to the dean and senior secretary education

There are a few differences between an administrative assistant to the dean and a senior secretary in terms of educational background:

	Administrative Assistant To The Dean	Senior Secretary
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	Western Carolina University

Administrative assistant to the dean vs senior secretary demographics

Here are the differences between administrative assistant to the deans' and senior secretaries' demographics:

	Administrative Assistant To The Dean	Senior Secretary
Average age	50	49
Gender ratio	Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%	Male, 5.9% Female, 94.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	6%	10%

Differences between administrative assistant to the dean and senior secretary duties and responsibilities

Administrative assistant to the dean example responsibilities.

Manage finances including tuition, billing, services, and staff payroll.
Manage and coordinate complex internal and external meetings and/or events via videoconferencing, WebEx and teleconference calls.
Create detailed PowerPoint presentations for conferences, seminars, and workshops.
Process payroll data by collecting, coding, and computing time sheets for all part-time instructional and support staff.
Present PowerPoint presentations when need.
Review crime prevention surveys, economic crime and logistics security, and personnel security vulnerability assessments for high risk personnel.

Senior secretary example responsibilities.

Manage high volume of requests and correspondence from executives and colleagues, pharmaceutical representatives, patients and outside physicians.
Prepare PowerPoint presentations, complete statistical reports, and convert reports to various formats.
Maintain confidentiality of all payroll documents and office files.
Compile and distribute customer updates for payroll software programs and telecommunications networks.
Maintain databases, prepare PowerPoint presentations, maintain inventory and requisition supplies for the department.
Demonstrate professional integrity and tactful handling of confidential and protect health information according to HIPAA and administrative policy guidelines.

Administrative assistant to the dean vs senior secretary skills

Common administrative assistant to the dean skills

Travel Arrangements, 10%
Phone Calls, 8%
Scheduling Appointments, 6%
Provides Administrative Support, 6%
Payroll, 5%
Financial Aid, 5%

Common senior secretary skills

Patients, 12%
Routine Correspondence, 11%
Data Entry, 8%
Telephone Calls, 6%
Office Equipment, 6%
Payroll, 5%

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Administrative Assistant To The Dean
Administrative Assistant To The Dean vs Senior Secretary

Updated January 8, 2025

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