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The differences between secretaries and senior secretaries can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a secretary, becoming a senior secretary takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a secretary has an average salary of $36,442, which is higher than the $33,120 average annual salary of a senior secretary.
The top three skills for a secretary include customer service, telephone calls and payroll. The most important skills for a senior secretary are patients, routine correspondence, and data entry.
| Secretary | Senior Secretary | |
| Yearly salary | $36,442 | $33,120 |
| Hourly rate | $17.52 | $15.92 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 69,315 | 37,284 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 50 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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 Senior Secretary is responsible for maintaining office records, receiving and directing telephone calls, and writing various reports for managers. They also schedule appointments and meetings for supervisors and assist in the process of new hires.
Secretaries and senior secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Secretary | Senior Secretary | |
| Average salary | $36,442 | $33,120 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $51,000 | Between $26,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Government | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a secretary and a senior secretary in terms of educational background:
| Secretary | Senior Secretary | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between secretaries' and senior secretaries' demographics:
| Secretary | Senior Secretary | |
| Average age | 50 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.1% Female, 89.9% | Male, 5.9% Female, 94.1% |
| 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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 10% |