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School secretary vs administrative professional

The differences between school secretaries and administrative professionals 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 professional. Additionally, an administrative professional has an average salary of $39,486, which is higher than the $35,126 average annual salary of a school secretary.

The top three skills for a school secretary include word processing, payroll and math. The most important skills for an administrative professional are customer service, powerpoint, and data entry.

School secretary vs administrative professional overview

School SecretaryAdministrative Professional
Yearly salary$35,126$39,486
Hourly rate$16.89$18.98
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs75,65687,372
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 41%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age5050
Years of experience22

What does a school secretary do?

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.

What does an administrative professional do?

An administrative professional specializes in performing administrative support and clerical tasks in a company or office, ensuring accuracy and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities typically revolve around managing schedules, arranging appointments and meetings, producing progress reports and presentations, delegating tasks, and attending meetings on behalf of executives or staff. There are also instances when an administrative assistant must answer calls and correspondence, respond to inquiries and concerns, welcome guests, relay messages, and provide staff with any support tasks or documents.

School secretary vs administrative professional salary

School secretaries and administrative professionals have different pay scales, as shown below.

School SecretaryAdministrative Professional
Average salary$35,126$39,486
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $49,000Between $23,000 And $65,000
Highest paying CitySanta Rosa, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonConnecticut
Best paying companyLake Zurich Community Unit School District 95HomeOwners Advantage
Best paying industryGovernment-

Differences between school secretary and administrative professional education

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

School SecretaryAdministrative Professional
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 41%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

School secretary vs administrative professional demographics

Here are the differences between school secretaries' and administrative professionals' demographics:

School SecretaryAdministrative Professional
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 5.8% Female, 94.2%Male, 17.4% Female, 82.6%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage6%6%

Differences between school secretary and administrative professional duties and responsibilities

School secretary example responsibilities.

  • Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.
  • Coordinate department payroll, electronic share files, and general office operations.
  • Compose all correspondence and prepare presentations via PowerPoint.
  • Create PowerPoint presentations used for teachers professional development.
  • Perform all secretarial duties including attendance, payroll reports and conference arrangements/billing.
  • Prepare discharges, enter all updates into OASAS system and review patient information to verify patients eligibility to receive transportation reimbursement.
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Administrative professional example responsibilities.

  • Manage documentation, folder structures and user permissions in SharePoint.
  • Participate in committee meetings by preparing minutes and presentation summaries, planning meeting agendas, and organizing and managing meeting logistics.
  • Keep vendors accounts up to date, process payroll, collect on accounts receivable, keep accounts payable up to date.
  • Create document libraries for several hospital initiatives in SharePoint.
  • Receive and distribute payroll garnishment/bankruptcy notification letters to employees.
  • Develop and maintain relevant organizational charts, facilitating retrieval of staff data in PowerPoint format.
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School secretary vs administrative professional skills

Common school secretary skills
  • Word Processing, 12%
  • Payroll, 12%
  • Math, 7%
  • Purchase Orders, 7%
  • Data Entry, 6%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
Common administrative professional skills
  • Customer Service, 16%
  • PowerPoint, 12%
  • Data Entry, 11%
  • Travel Arrangements, 7%
  • Administrative Tasks, 3%
  • Office Equipment, 3%

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