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The differences between assistant secretaries and administrative assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an assistant secretary and an administrative assistant. Additionally, an assistant secretary has an average salary of $107,366, which is higher than the $34,945 average annual salary of an administrative assistant.
The top three skills for an assistant secretary include telephone calls, payroll and scheduling appointments. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.
| Assistant Secretary | Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $107,366 | $34,945 |
| Hourly rate | $51.62 | $16.80 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 52,165 | 65,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.14 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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 assistants, or admin assistants, do general clerical and administrative activities. Their duties involve organizing and maintaining files and records, preparing documents, scheduling meetings and appointments, and providing general support in the office. Administrative assistants handle incoming and outgoing official correspondences, take minutes of important meetings and manage calls to the main office number. They also assist executives in providing structure to their day by managing their schedule, drafting e-mails, and other activities that executives may need assistance in. Administrative assistants should have the following skills: organizing, business writing, decision-making, and communication.
Assistant secretaries and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Secretary | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $107,366 | $34,945 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $302,000 | Between $26,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Elanco | Westfield State University |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an assistant secretary and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Secretary | Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between assistant secretaries' and administrative assistants' demographics:
| Assistant Secretary | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.7% Female, 78.3% | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |