Department assistant vs department secretary

The differences between department assistants and department secretaries can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a department assistant and a department secretary. Additionally, a department assistant has an average salary of $40,698, which is higher than the $35,473 average annual salary of a department secretary.

The top three skills for a department assistant include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a department secretary are patients, customer service, and data entry.

Department assistant vs department secretary overview

	Department Assistant	Department Secretary
Yearly salary	$40,698	$35,473
Hourly rate	$19.57	$17.05
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	88,268	80,303
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	2	2

What does a department assistant do?

A department assistant is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support and ensure the smooth operations of an entire department. Department assistants manage meeting calendars, book travel appointments, assist with company events, respond to clients' inquiries and requests through phone calls or personal visits, update customer records, organize electronic files, create business proposals, and monitor supplies. A department assistant must have excellent organizational and communication skills, as well as the ability to multitask under minimal supervision.

What does a department secretary do?

A department secretary is responsible for providing administrative and clerical support to a specific department, ensuring smooth operations to maintain high-quality services to the customers and business partners. Department secretaries should have excellent knowledge of office management principles, especially on data processing procedures and customer service processes. They handle the scheduling of meetings and conferences, responding to customers' inquiries and concerns, directing visitors to the appropriate personnel and department, sorting files, and submitting business transactions and financial reports. A department secretary also recommends strategic procedures to generate more revenues and increase the company's profitability.

Department assistant vs department secretary salary

Department assistants and department secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Department Assistant	Department Secretary
Average salary	$40,698	$35,473
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $67,000	Between $26,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	California
Best paying company	Dorsey & Whitney	Brigham and Women's Hospital
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between department assistant and department secretary education

There are a few differences between a department assistant and a department secretary in terms of educational background:

	Department Assistant	Department Secretary
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Stanford University

Department assistant vs department secretary demographics

Here are the differences between department assistants' and department secretaries' demographics:

	Department Assistant	Department Secretary
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0%	Male, 7.0% Female, 93.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between department assistant and department secretary duties and responsibilities

Department assistant example responsibilities.

Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
Team player/adaptable HIPPA compliant, CPR certify.
Maintain and process Kronos time and attendance records for department employees.
Perform CPR and assist in critical care room with traumas and arrests.
Clean windows, glass partitions, or mirrors, using soapy water or other cleaners.
Prepare and submit time to Kronos system biweekly and Lawson swift maker schedule for staff.

Department secretary example responsibilities.

Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.
Volunteer for ISO auditor duties to ensure ISO procedures are followed for certification.
Perform payroll functions, including maintaining timekeeping information and processing and submitting payroll.
Prepare materials for monthly board of directors meetings including PowerPoint presentations, agendas and minutes.
Complete all payroll documentation, enter all payroll documentation into computer program, and submit to payroll department.
Create PowerPoint presentations used for business development, organize files and develop spreadsheets, fax reports and scan documents.

Department assistant vs department secretary skills

Common department assistant skills

Patients, 15%
Customer Service, 15%
Data Entry, 8%
Word Processing, 6%
Purchase Orders, 5%
Payroll, 4%

Common department secretary skills

Patients, 22%
Customer Service, 10%
Data Entry, 7%
Medical Terminology, 7%
Patient Care, 4%
Word Processing, 4%

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Department Assistant
Department Assistant vs Department Secretary

Updated January 8, 2025

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