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The differences between personal assistants/office assistants and 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 personal assistant/office assistant and a secretary. Additionally, a personal assistant/office assistant has an average salary of $53,954, which is higher than the $36,442 average annual salary of a secretary.
The top three skills for a personal assistant/office assistant include customer service, travel arrangements and financial statements. The most important skills for a secretary are customer service, telephone calls, and payroll.
| Personal Assistant/Office Assistant | Secretary | |
| Yearly salary | $53,954 | $36,442 |
| Hourly rate | $25.94 | $17.52 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 82,379 | 69,315 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Personal assistants/office assistants and secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personal Assistant/Office Assistant | Secretary | |
| Average salary | $53,954 | $36,442 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $77,000 | Between $26,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a personal assistant/office assistant and a secretary in terms of educational background:
| Personal Assistant/Office Assistant | Secretary | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between personal assistants/office assistants' and secretaries' demographics:
| Personal Assistant/Office Assistant | Secretary | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7% | Male, 10.1% Female, 89.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 3.9% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |