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The differences between secretaries and administrative receptionists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a secretary and an administrative receptionist. Additionally, a secretary has an average salary of $36,442, which is higher than the $31,502 average annual salary of an administrative receptionist.
The top three skills for a secretary include customer service, telephone calls and payroll. The most important skills for an administrative receptionist are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Secretary | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Yearly salary | $36,442 | $31,502 |
| Hourly rate | $17.52 | $15.15 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 69,315 | 91,892 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Secretaries are employees who are responsible for many of the administrative needs of the office. They are usually assigned to executives or to a specific department. They manage schedules and appointments, often handling the calendar in the office. They are also responsible for keeping files organized, whether physical or digital copies. During office meetings, secretaries are in charge of documenting the minutes of the meeting and highlighting the action steps that need to be taken. They may also be assigned to check on concerned departments who need to present deliverables in the next office meeting.
An administrative receptionist is responsible for performing administrative tasks, handling visitors' inquiries and concerns, verifying appointments, and leading them to the appropriate personnel and department, as well as handling and routing calls. Administrative receptionists also keep records of the staff meeting and executive conference, including company and promotional events. They receive packages and mail, sort documents, manage office supply inventories, create incident reports, and report suspicious guests within the premises. An administrative receptionist must have excellent communication and customer service skills, especially on resolving and escalating complaints.
Secretaries and administrative receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Secretary | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Average salary | $36,442 | $31,502 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $51,000 | Between $25,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | Beacon Hill Staffing Group |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a secretary and an administrative receptionist in terms of educational background:
| Secretary | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between secretaries' and administrative receptionists' demographics:
| Secretary | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.1% Female, 89.9% | Male, 8.0% Female, 92.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 3.9% White, 65.7% 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, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |