Payroll secretary vs department secretary

The differences between payroll secretaries 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 payroll secretary and a department secretary. Additionally, a payroll secretary has an average salary of $52,677, which is higher than the $35,473 average annual salary of a department secretary.

The top three skills for a payroll secretary include purchase orders, payroll system and office equipment. The most important skills for a department secretary are patients, customer service, and data entry.

Payroll secretary vs department secretary overview

	Payroll Secretary	Department Secretary
Yearly salary	$52,677	$35,473
Hourly rate	$25.33	$17.05
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	12,543	80,303
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	2	2

Payroll secretary vs department secretary salary

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

	Payroll Secretary	Department Secretary
Average salary	$52,677	$35,473
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $69,000	Between $26,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	-	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Brigham and Women's Hospital
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between payroll secretary and department secretary education

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

	Payroll Secretary	Department Secretary
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Stanford University

Payroll secretary vs department secretary demographics

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

	Payroll Secretary	Department Secretary
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 5.9% Female, 94.1%	Male, 7.0% Female, 93.0%
Race ratio	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%	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 payroll secretary and department secretary duties and responsibilities

Payroll secretary example responsibilities.

Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.
Answer phones, work in Quickbooks to invoice, enter bills, generate computer checks and payroll.
Prepare discharges, enter all updates into OASAS system and review patient information to verify patients eligibility to receive transportation reimbursement.
Compile and summarize responses to subpoenas.

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.

Payroll secretary vs department secretary skills

Common payroll secretary skills

Purchase Orders, 13%
Payroll System, 8%
Office Equipment, 7%
Scheduling Appointments, 6%
QuickBooks, 6%
Payroll Data, 6%

Common department secretary skills

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

Payroll Secretary vs. similar jobs

Payroll Secretary related careers

Payroll Secretary related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Payroll Secretary
Payroll Secretary vs Department Secretary

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs