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Program secretary vs administrative specialist

The differences between program secretaries and administrative specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a program secretary and an administrative specialist. Additionally, an administrative specialist has an average salary of $38,758, which is higher than the $32,566 average annual salary of a program secretary.

The top three skills for a program secretary include data entry, scheduling appointments and phone calls. The most important skills for an administrative specialist are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.

Program secretary vs administrative specialist overview

Program SecretaryAdministrative Specialist
Yearly salary$32,566$38,758
Hourly rate$15.66$18.63
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs226,71271,227
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 37%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age5050
Years of experience22

Program secretary vs administrative specialist salary

Program secretaries and administrative specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Program SecretaryAdministrative Specialist
Average salary$32,566$38,758
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $40,000Between $25,000 And $58,000
Highest paying CityFoster City, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyWashington State UniversityMeta
Best paying industryTelecommunicationTechnology

Differences between program secretary and administrative specialist education

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

Program SecretaryAdministrative Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 37%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityWestern Carolina University

Program secretary vs administrative specialist demographics

Here are the differences between program secretaries' and administrative specialists' demographics:

Program SecretaryAdministrative Specialist
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 6.6% Female, 93.4%Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6%
Race ratioBlack 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, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between program secretary and administrative specialist duties and responsibilities

Program secretary example responsibilities.

  • Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.
  • Maintain schedules, business travel, expense reports, overtime reports, payroll and labor time-card.
  • Prepare and submit payroll, travel expenses, and other reimbursement relate material for staff.
  • Create PowerPoint presentations for yearly events.
  • Register patients/checked Medicaid for approval and schedule patient psychiatric appointments.
  • Distribute Medicaid waivers and documentation reports to services and support managers on monthly basis.
  • Show more

Administrative specialist example responsibilities.

  • Participate in committee meetings by preparing minutes and presentation summaries, planning meeting agendas, and organizing and managing meeting logistics.
  • Process incoming and outgoing medical records with newly implement HIPAA requirements.
  • Maintain personnel records, electronic databases, oversee and administer department SharePoint website.
  • Redesign and reformat PowerPoint presentations, customize individual client presentations for specific look & feel.
  • Create and successfully implement a new faculty form to collect necessary information for payroll forms.
  • Conduct training of new personnel using spreadsheets & PowerPoint presentations to ensure compliance of organizational policies & procedures.
  • Show more

Program secretary vs administrative specialist skills

Common program secretary skills
  • Data Entry, 14%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 9%
  • Phone Calls, 8%
  • Office Equipment, 8%
  • Purchase Orders, 7%
  • Clerical Support, 7%
Common administrative specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Data Entry, 6%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
  • Office Procedures, 5%
  • Patients, 5%
  • Payroll, 4%

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