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The differences between office secretaries and office managers/office coordinator can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an office secretary, becoming an office manager/office coordinator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an office manager/office coordinator has an average salary of $44,616, which is higher than the $33,118 average annual salary of an office secretary.
The top three skills for an office secretary include data entry, phone calls and telephone calls. The most important skills for an office manager/office coordinator are customer service, financial reports, and office equipment.
| Office Secretary | Office Manager/Office Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $33,118 | $44,616 |
| Hourly rate | $15.92 | $21.45 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 87,771 | 63,703 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
An office secretary is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to ensure the smooth flow of operations and prevent delays with project deliverables. Office secretaries also welcome guests, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and direct them to the appropriate department or personnel for their appointments. They schedule meetings, sort documents, handle incoming and outgoing mail, as well as manage inventories for the adequacy of office supplies. An office secretary must have excellent time-management and multitasking skills to conduct tasks within a strict deadline and minimal supervision.
An office manager/office coordinator is responsible for managing daily administrative tasks and monitoring workflow processes to ensure maximum productivity on meeting client deadlines and maintaining customer satisfaction. Office managers/office coordinators respond to customers' inquiries and concerns, manage records accurately, assist the marketing department on promoting brand image, develop strategic procedures, and identify business opportunities to grow revenues and increase profitability. An office manager/office coordinator must have excellent communication and organization skills to perform various duties in supporting business operations.
Office secretaries and office managers/office coordinator have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Office Secretary | Office Manager/Office Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $33,118 | $44,616 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $42,000 | Between $33,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | - |
| Best paying company | Guidehouse | - |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | - |
There are a few differences between an office secretary and an office manager/office coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Office Secretary | Office Manager/Office Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between office secretaries' and office managers/office coordinator' demographics:
| Office Secretary | Office Manager/Office Coordinator | |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3% | Male, 8.8% Female, 91.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |