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The differences between school secretaries and administrative clerks 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 clerk. Additionally, a school secretary has an average salary of $35,126, which is higher than the $32,327 average annual salary of an administrative clerk.
The top three skills for a school secretary include word processing, payroll and math. The most important skills for an administrative clerk are customer service, data entry, and patients.
| School Secretary | Administrative Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $35,126 | $32,327 |
| Hourly rate | $16.89 | $15.54 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 75,656 | 137,639 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| 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 clerk provides support to staff and does clerical works. These clerical duties include answering and making phone calls, typing documents, compiling and filing records, and scheduling appointments. The clerks often set up office meetings and invite reliable speakers. Also, they do research and prepare reports or presentations. Candidates for the job must be organized, detail-oriented, and can manage their time well. They must be tech-savvy and have a basic knowledge of bookkeeping. The salary depends on their experience, industry, and location of the job.
School secretaries and administrative clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| School Secretary | Administrative Clerk | |
| Average salary | $35,126 | $32,327 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $49,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a school secretary and an administrative clerk in terms of educational background:
| School Secretary | Administrative Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between school secretaries' and administrative clerks' demographics:
| School Secretary | Administrative Clerk | |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 5.8% Female, 94.2% | Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 21.9% Asian, 8.3% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |