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Secretarial substitute vs department secretary

The differences between secretarial substitutes and department secretaries can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a secretarial substitute and a department secretary. Additionally, a department secretary has an average salary of $35,473, which is higher than the $29,860 average annual salary of a secretarial substitute.

The top three skills for a secretarial substitute include office equipment, word processing and telephone calls. The most important skills for a department secretary are patients, customer service, and data entry.

Secretarial substitute vs department secretary overview

Secretarial SubstituteDepartment Secretary
Yearly salary$29,860$35,473
Hourly rate$14.36$17.05
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs6,81080,303
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age5050
Years of experience22

Secretarial substitute vs department secretary salary

Secretarial substitutes and department secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.

Secretarial SubstituteDepartment Secretary
Average salary$29,860$35,473
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $38,000Between $26,000 And $47,000
Highest paying CityVallejo, CAOakland, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiCalifornia
Best paying companyErie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCESBrigham and Women's Hospital
Best paying industryInsuranceGovernment

Differences between secretarial substitute and department secretary education

There are a few differences between a secretarial substitute and a department secretary in terms of educational background:

Secretarial SubstituteDepartment Secretary
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityStanford University

Secretarial substitute vs department secretary demographics

Here are the differences between secretarial substitutes' and department secretaries' demographics:

Secretarial SubstituteDepartment Secretary
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 4.5% Female, 95.5%Male, 7.0% Female, 93.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 4.3% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%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 secretarial substitute and department secretary duties and responsibilities

Secretarial substitute example responsibilities.

  • Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.
  • Correspond with PTO members and families.
  • Organize events, meetings for PTO.
  • Process payroll and organize leave forms by pay period.
  • Perform a wide variety of clerical duties including: typing, proofreading, filing and recording information.
  • Perform data entry in various offices including, but not limit to, payroll and tax offices.
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Department secretary example responsibilities.

  • Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.
  • Volunteer for ISO auditor duties to ensure ISO procedures are followed for certification.
  • Perform payroll functions, including maintaining timekeeping information and processing and submitting payroll.
  • Prepare materials for monthly board of directors meetings including PowerPoint presentations, agendas and minutes.
  • Complete all payroll documentation, enter all payroll documentation into computer program, and submit to payroll department.
  • Create PowerPoint presentations used for business development, organize files and develop spreadsheets, fax reports and scan documents.
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Secretarial substitute vs department secretary skills

Common secretarial substitute skills
  • Office Equipment, 21%
  • Word Processing, 14%
  • Telephone Calls, 13%
  • Proofreading, 9%
  • Payroll, 5%
  • Office Machines, 5%
Common department secretary skills
  • Patients, 22%
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Data Entry, 7%
  • Medical Terminology, 7%
  • Patient Care, 4%
  • Word Processing, 4%

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