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The differences between school 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 school secretary and an administrative assistant. Additionally, a school secretary has an average salary of $35,126, which is higher than the $34,945 average annual salary of an administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a school secretary include word processing, payroll and math. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.
| School Secretary | Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $35,126 | $34,945 |
| Hourly rate | $16.89 | $16.80 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 75,656 | 65,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.14 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A school secretary is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the school's operations and helping the management to develop strategies and techniques to ensure that the students receive the highest quality of learning. School secretaries manage the data management system of the institution, record students' and staff information, and assist with payroll release. They also serve as a liaison between the staff, students, and the management for any inquiries, concerns, and complaints.
Administrative assistants, or admin assistants, do general clerical and administrative activities. Their duties involve organizing and maintaining files and records, preparing documents, scheduling meetings and appointments, and providing general support in the office. Administrative assistants handle incoming and outgoing official correspondences, take minutes of important meetings and manage calls to the main office number. They also assist executives in providing structure to their day by managing their schedule, drafting e-mails, and other activities that executives may need assistance in. Administrative assistants should have the following skills: organizing, business writing, decision-making, and communication.
School secretaries and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| School Secretary | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $35,126 | $34,945 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $49,000 | Between $26,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 | Westfield State University |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a school secretary and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| School Secretary | Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between school secretaries' and administrative assistants' demographics:
| School Secretary | Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 5.8% Female, 94.2% | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.3% 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 Percentage | 6% | 6% |