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Principal secretary vs office manager/administrative assistant

The differences between principal secretaries and office managers/administrative assistant 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 office manager/administrative assistant. Additionally, an office manager/administrative assistant has an average salary of $39,071, 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 office manager/administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and financial statements.

Principal secretary vs office manager/administrative assistant overview

Principal SecretaryOffice Manager/Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary$33,699$39,071
Hourly rate$16.20$18.78
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs46,20774,168
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age5050
Years of experience22

Principal secretary vs office manager/administrative assistant salary

Principal secretaries and office managers/administrative assistant have different pay scales, as shown below.

Principal SecretaryOffice Manager/Administrative Assistant
Average salary$33,699$39,071
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $41,000Between $27,000 And $55,000
Highest paying CityMilpitas, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiOregon
Best paying companyEdina Public SchoolsRevance Therapeutics
Best paying industryManufacturingProfessional

Differences between principal secretary and office manager/administrative assistant education

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

Principal SecretaryOffice Manager/Administrative Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Principal secretary vs office manager/administrative assistant demographics

Here are the differences between principal secretaries' and office managers/administrative assistant' demographics:

Principal SecretaryOffice Manager/Administrative Assistant
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 5.0% Female, 95.0%Male, 8.6% Female, 91.4%
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, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between principal secretary and office manager/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.
  • Show more

Office manager/administrative assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage detailed administrative records using POS retail software.
  • Scan and file all documents into EMR and paper chart.
  • Coordinate yearly CPR training with local fire department for post office employees.
  • Scan all labs retrieve from various insurance portals, and medical records into the EMR.
  • Compile payroll information within deadlines.
  • Compile expense reporting and payroll for manufacturing facility staff.
  • Show more

Principal secretary vs office manager/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 office manager/administrative assistant skills
  • Customer Service, 16%
  • Data Entry, 10%
  • Financial Statements, 5%
  • Travel Arrangements, 5%
  • Purchase Orders, 5%
  • Office Equipment, 5%

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