Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between secretaries and office 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 secretary and an office secretary. Additionally, a secretary has an average salary of $36,442, which is higher than the $33,118 average annual salary of an office secretary.
The top three skills for a secretary include customer service, telephone calls and payroll. The most important skills for an office secretary are data entry, phone calls, and telephone calls.
| Secretary | Office Secretary | |
| Yearly salary | $36,442 | $33,118 |
| Hourly rate | $17.52 | $15.92 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 69,315 | 87,771 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| 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 office secretary is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to ensure the smooth flow of operations and prevent delays with project deliverables. Office secretaries also welcome guests, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and direct them to the appropriate department or personnel for their appointments. They schedule meetings, sort documents, handle incoming and outgoing mail, as well as manage inventories for the adequacy of office supplies. An office secretary must have excellent time-management and multitasking skills to conduct tasks within a strict deadline and minimal supervision.
Secretaries and office secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Secretary | Office Secretary | |
| Average salary | $36,442 | $33,118 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $51,000 | Between $25,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | Guidehouse |
| Best paying industry | Government | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a secretary and an office secretary in terms of educational background:
| Secretary | Office Secretary | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between secretaries' and office secretaries' demographics:
| Secretary | Office Secretary | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.1% Female, 89.9% | Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3% |
| 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, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |