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The differences between secretaries and personal assistants 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 personal assistant. Additionally, a personal assistant has an average salary of $40,026, 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 personal assistant are run errands, companionship, and scheduling appointments.
| Secretary | Personal Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $36,442 | $40,026 |
| Hourly rate | $17.52 | $19.24 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 69,315 | 21,638 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 50 | 49 |
| 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.
Personal assistants are employees working for individuals who need help in managing their personal affairs. Personal assistants manage the daily activities of their employers. They are in charge of managing their employer's schedules and appointments, often coordinating their meetings and orienting them on their schedule at the start of the day. They also arrange travel needs, from looking for travel tickets to booking accommodations. When they have built enough trust with their employer, they are entrusted to also manage personal financial accounts and are often given access to other confidential information related to the employer.
Secretaries and personal assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Secretary | Personal Assistant | |
| Average salary | $36,442 | $40,026 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $51,000 | Between $26,000 And $60,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Government | Real Estate |
There are a few differences between a secretary and a personal assistant in terms of educational background:
| Secretary | Personal Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between secretaries' and personal assistants' demographics:
| Secretary | Personal Assistant | |
| Average age | 50 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.1% Female, 89.9% | Male, 19.3% Female, 80.7% |
| 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, 11.0% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 7.4% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 12% |