Senior secretary vs administrative office specialist

The differences between senior secretaries and administrative office specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a senior secretary, becoming an administrative office specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an administrative office specialist has an average salary of $35,177, which is higher than the $33,120 average annual salary of a senior secretary.

The top three skills for a senior secretary include patients, routine correspondence and data entry. The most important skills for an administrative office specialist are customer service, data entry, and word processing.

Senior secretary vs administrative office specialist overview

	Senior Secretary	Administrative Office Specialist
Yearly salary	$33,120	$35,177
Hourly rate	$15.92	$16.91
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	37,284	96,945
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	49	50
Years of experience	4	2

What does a senior secretary do?

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.

What does an administrative office specialist do?

An administrative office specialist helps offices to run efficiently and smoothly by performing clerical support tasks. Their responsibilities often include preparing and processing documents, arranging meetings and appointments, monitoring the budgets and expenditures, answering calls and correspondence, handling the inventory and procurement of office supplies, and developing strategies to optimize office operations. They may also address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and professionally. Furthermore, as an administrative office specialist, it is essential to coordinate staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Senior secretary vs administrative office specialist salary

Senior secretaries and administrative office specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Secretary	Administrative Office Specialist
Average salary	$33,120	$35,177
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $28,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Alaska
Best paying company	Columbia University in the City of New York	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Technology

Differences between senior secretary and administrative office specialist education

There are a few differences between a senior secretary and an administrative office specialist in terms of educational background:

	Senior Secretary	Administrative Office Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Senior secretary vs administrative office specialist demographics

Here are the differences between senior secretaries' and administrative office specialists' demographics:

	Senior Secretary	Administrative Office Specialist
Average age	49	50
Gender ratio	Male, 5.9% Female, 94.1%	Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 4.0% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	10%	6%

Differences between senior secretary and administrative office specialist duties and responsibilities

Senior secretary example responsibilities.

Manage high volume of requests and correspondence from executives and colleagues, pharmaceutical representatives, patients and outside physicians.
Prepare PowerPoint presentations, complete statistical reports, and convert reports to various formats.
Maintain confidentiality of all payroll documents and office files.
Compile and distribute customer updates for payroll software programs and telecommunications networks.
Maintain databases, prepare PowerPoint presentations, maintain inventory and requisition supplies for the department.
Demonstrate professional integrity and tactful handling of confidential and protect health information according to HIPAA and administrative policy guidelines.

Administrative office specialist example responsibilities.

Participate in committee meetings by preparing minutes and presentation summaries, planning meeting agendas, and organizing and managing meeting logistics.
Develop PowerPoint presentations for seminars and workshops.
Prepare briefings for senior level management using Microsoft PowerPoint.
Prepare bi-weekly payroll reports and special cost analyses and forecasting.
Coordinate accessibility into main office building along with identification badge and process direct deposit via state guidelines for payroll.
Coordinate travel arrangements in DTS; schedule mode of transportation, prepare trip folders, arrange lodging reservations and develop itineraries.

Senior secretary vs administrative office specialist skills

Common senior secretary skills

Patients, 12%
Routine Correspondence, 11%
Data Entry, 8%
Telephone Calls, 6%
Office Equipment, 6%
Payroll, 5%

Common administrative office specialist skills

Customer Service, 27%
Data Entry, 8%
Word Processing, 6%
Payroll, 3%
PowerPoint, 3%
Phone Calls, 3%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Senior Secretary
Senior Secretary vs Administrative Office Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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