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The differences between secretaries and historians 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 a historian. Additionally, a historian has an average salary of $57,376, which is higher than the $36,442 average annual salary of a secretary.
The top three skills for a secretary include customer service, telephone calls and payroll. The most important skills for a historian are cultural resources, historical research, and historic resources.
| Secretary | Historian | |
| Yearly salary | $36,442 | $57,376 |
| Hourly rate | $17.52 | $27.58 |
| Growth rate | -8% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 69,315 | 606 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 50 | 41 |
| 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.
Historians are professionals in social sciences with a specialization in history. They typically research, analyze, and interpret facts of human history. Other duties include collecting and evaluating data from various sources to answer questions on historical events, analyzing physical artifacts, written records and evidence during their investigations, and preserving significant historical documents. Additionally, you will liaise with historical sites such as museums to provide recommendations about historical conservation and the importance of historical sites, monuments, and artifacts.
Secretaries and historians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Secretary | Historian | |
| Average salary | $36,442 | $57,376 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $51,000 | Between $26,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Lowell, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a secretary and a historian in terms of educational background:
| Secretary | Historian | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Business | History |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between secretaries' and historians' demographics:
| Secretary | Historian | |
| Average age | 50 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.1% Female, 89.9% | Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3% |
| 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, 6.8% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 7.8% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 11% |