Administrative technician vs assistant secretary

The differences between administrative technicians and assistant secretaries can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an administrative technician and an assistant secretary. Additionally, an assistant secretary has an average salary of $107,366, which is higher than the $41,290 average annual salary of an administrative technician.

The top three skills for an administrative technician include customer service, data entry and patients. The most important skills for an assistant secretary are telephone calls, payroll, and scheduling appointments.

Administrative technician vs assistant secretary overview

	Administrative Technician	Assistant Secretary
Yearly salary	$41,290	$107,366
Hourly rate	$19.85	$51.62
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	73,101	52,165
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	2	2

What does an administrative technician do?

Administrative technicians are employees who manage a variety of administrative tasks. They are in charge of sorting out mail, taking phone calls, and managing meeting room reservations. They work on the upkeep of files and records, office supplies, and admin systems. Administrative technicians are sometimes assigned to conduct research and devise ways to improve the efficiency of office operations. They assist administrative officers and managers in drafting policies and guidelines. Administrative technicians may also be assigned to create presentation materials and documentary requirements needed by the department.

What does an assistant secretary do?

An assistant secretary is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the daily operations of various departments and management personnel and ensure the efficiency of business functions. Assistant secretaries usually assist in business communications, responding to customers' inquiries and concerns, reaching out to existing clients to schedule appointments, welcoming guests on the office, and routing calls to the appropriate department. They also handle data entry procedures, updating customer information on the database, as well as creating reports on business and financial transactions.

Administrative technician vs assistant secretary salary

Administrative technicians and assistant secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Administrative Technician	Assistant Secretary
Average salary	$41,290	$107,366
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $65,000	Between $38,000 And $302,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Rhode Island
Best paying company	InfosysPublicService	Elanco
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between administrative technician and assistant secretary education

There are a few differences between an administrative technician and an assistant secretary in terms of educational background:

	Administrative Technician	Assistant Secretary
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Administrative technician vs assistant secretary demographics

Here are the differences between administrative technicians' and assistant secretaries' demographics:

	Administrative Technician	Assistant Secretary
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0%	Male, 21.7% Female, 78.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% 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%

Differences between administrative technician and assistant secretary duties and responsibilities

Administrative technician example responsibilities.

Design and manage an innovative human capital and knowledge management information technology systems (e.g., PeopleSoft).
Manage after-hour phone consultations and create referral records for 2.2k patients while ensuring care continuity from civilian medical facilities.
Perform classroom instruction on Linux OS and database operations.
Utilize SharePoint to copy soft tokens into the appropriate agency's folder.
Build, maintain and support the company's Intranet portal system using SharePoint.
Set up PCs and laptops to any new employee for when they first arrive.

Assistant secretary example responsibilities.

Manage and oversee all STO relate actions task to OSD impacting future and current operations in STO.
Assist main accountant with extra jobs and are trained in QuickBooks.
Proofread, edit & type legal briefs, business letters, case notes.
Book keeping, answer phone calls, run errands and handle billing using Quickbooks.
Assist in contacting and informing the parents of upcoming graduates about alumni programs and donations.
Serve as first point of contact for students, faculty, and alumni calling or visiting the main administrative office.

Administrative technician vs assistant secretary skills

Common administrative technician skills

Customer Service, 14%
Data Entry, 11%
Patients, 8%
Database Management, 5%
Payroll, 5%
Troubleshoot, 4%

Common assistant secretary skills

Telephone Calls, 13%
Payroll, 9%
Scheduling Appointments, 9%
Financial Statements, 9%
Office Equipment, 7%
Computer System, 5%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Administrative Technician
Administrative Technician vs Assistant Secretary

Updated January 8, 2025

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