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Principal secretary vs administrative assistant

The differences between principal 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 a principal secretary and an administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant has an average salary of $34,945, which is higher than the $33,699 average annual salary of a principal secretary.

The top three skills for a principal secretary include purchase orders, schedule appointments and office equipment. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.

Principal secretary vs administrative assistant overview

Principal SecretaryAdministrative Assistant
Yearly salary$33,699$34,945
Hourly rate$16.20$16.80
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs46,20765,769
Job satisfaction-4.14
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age5050
Years of experience22

Principal secretary vs administrative assistant salary

Principal secretaries and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Principal SecretaryAdministrative Assistant
Average salary$33,699$34,945
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $41,000Between $26,000 And $46,000
Highest paying CityMilpitas, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiCalifornia
Best paying companyEdina Public SchoolsWestfield State University
Best paying industryManufacturing-

Differences between principal secretary and administrative assistant education

There are a few differences between a principal secretary and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:

Principal SecretaryAdministrative Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Principal secretary vs administrative assistant demographics

Here are the differences between principal secretaries' and administrative assistants' demographics:

Principal SecretaryAdministrative Assistant
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 5.0% Female, 95.0%Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.1% 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 Percentage6%6%

Differences between principal secretary and administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Principal secretary example responsibilities.

  • Manage high volume of requests and correspondence from executives and colleagues, pharmaceutical representatives, patients and outside physicians.
  • Maintain compliance with HIPPA law.
  • Work closely with Medicare and Medicaid.
  • Maintain confidentiality laws of HIPAA and OSHA.
  • Create spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations for faculty meetings on behalf of the principal.
  • Prepare charts, vital sight, injections, EKG, phlebotomy, fill prescriptions and hospital admitting.
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Administrative assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage time and attendance using Kronos software for entire department.
  • Participate in national projects, manage new customer conversions to MCI from other carriers.
  • Manage FEDEX delivery requirements ensuring compliance with company policy.
  • Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
  • Manage company finances using QuickBooks software, including monitoring the operating budget and collecting on unpaid invoices.
  • Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
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Principal secretary vs administrative assistant skills

Common principal secretary skills
  • Purchase Orders, 16%
  • Schedule Appointments, 13%
  • Office Equipment, 8%
  • Financial Reports, 6%
  • Word Processing, 6%
  • Administrative Tasks, 5%
Common administrative assistant skills
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Data Entry, 11%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
  • Travel Arrangements, 5%
  • Database Management, 5%
  • Word Processing, 5%

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