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The differences between service secretaries and administrative receptionists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a service secretary and an administrative receptionist. Additionally, an administrative receptionist has an average salary of $31,502, which is higher than the $30,948 average annual salary of a service secretary.
The top three skills for a service secretary include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for an administrative receptionist are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Service Secretary | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Yearly salary | $30,948 | $31,502 |
| Hourly rate | $14.88 | $15.15 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 25,307 | 91,892 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A service secretary performs administrative and clerical duties, such as maintaining databases and filing systems, coordinating meetings, and preparing documents. The core skills that a service secretary should possess to perform his/her or her responsibilities include strong interpersonal skills, knowledge of general office procedures, and the ability to operate office equipment. Service secretaries are employed in industries like business, law, and education. Having extensive experience in secretarial and clerical work is an advantage to qualify for the service secretary position.
An administrative receptionist is responsible for performing administrative tasks, handling visitors' inquiries and concerns, verifying appointments, and leading them to the appropriate personnel and department, as well as handling and routing calls. Administrative receptionists also keep records of the staff meeting and executive conference, including company and promotional events. They receive packages and mail, sort documents, manage office supply inventories, create incident reports, and report suspicious guests within the premises. An administrative receptionist must have excellent communication and customer service skills, especially on resolving and escalating complaints.
Service secretaries and administrative receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Secretary | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Average salary | $30,948 | $31,502 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $42,000 | Between $25,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | East Hartford, CT | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Washington |
| Best paying company | EastHartford Schools | Beacon Hill Staffing Group |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a service secretary and an administrative receptionist in terms of educational background:
| Service Secretary | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between service secretaries' and administrative receptionists' demographics:
| Service Secretary | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 7.0% Female, 93.0% | Male, 8.0% Female, 92.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |