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The differences between secretaries and school 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 a school secretary. Additionally, a secretary has an average salary of $36,442, which is higher than the $35,126 average annual salary of a school secretary.
The top three skills for a secretary include customer service, telephone calls and payroll. The most important skills for a school secretary are word processing, payroll, and math.
| Secretary | School Secretary | |
| Yearly salary | $36,442 | $35,126 |
| Hourly rate | $17.52 | $16.89 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 69,315 | 75,656 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| 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.
A school secretary is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the school's operations and helping the management to develop strategies and techniques to ensure that the students receive the highest quality of learning. School secretaries manage the data management system of the institution, record students' and staff information, and assist with payroll release. They also serve as a liaison between the staff, students, and the management for any inquiries, concerns, and complaints.
Secretaries and school secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Secretary | School Secretary | |
| Average salary | $36,442 | $35,126 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $51,000 | Between $25,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a secretary and a school secretary in terms of educational background:
| Secretary | School Secretary | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between secretaries' and school secretaries' demographics:
| Secretary | School Secretary | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.1% Female, 89.9% | Male, 5.8% Female, 94.2% |
| 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, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |