Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between school secretaries and administrative associates 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 associate. Additionally, a school secretary has an average salary of $35,126, which is higher than the $34,873 average annual salary of an administrative associate.
The top three skills for a school secretary include word processing, payroll and math. The most important skills for an administrative associate are administrative tasks, purchase orders, and customer service.
| School Secretary | Administrative Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $35,126 | $34,873 |
| Hourly rate | $16.89 | $16.77 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 75,656 | 54,499 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| 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.
An administrative associate is responsible for performing various tasks such as handling and processing paperwork, attending meetings and preparing minutes, responding to inquiries and other forms of correspondence, keeping accurate records, updating databases, and monitoring the company's financial activities. They also communicate with various department personnel, ensuring coordination should any important matter would arise. Furthermore, as an administrative associate, they are in charge of procuring supplies, implementing company policies, and supporting any staff members if needed.
School secretaries and administrative associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| School Secretary | Administrative Associate | |
| Average salary | $35,126 | $34,873 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $49,000 | Between $23,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 | Lord Abbett |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a school secretary and an administrative associate in terms of educational background:
| School Secretary | Administrative Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between school secretaries' and administrative associates' demographics:
| School Secretary | Administrative Associate | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 5.8% Female, 94.2% | Male, 21.6% Female, 78.4% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |