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The differences between typists and secretaries can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a typist, becoming a secretary takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a secretary has an average salary of $36,442, which is higher than the $32,143 average annual salary of a typist.
The top three skills for a typist include data entry, WPM and real estate. The most important skills for a secretary are customer service, telephone calls, and payroll.
| Typist | Secretary | |
| Yearly salary | $32,143 | $36,442 |
| Hourly rate | $15.45 | $17.52 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 34,028 | 69,315 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A typist is responsible for typing all of a company's documents and materials, including reports, policies, and correspondence. A typist may also be known as a word processor or copy clerk. They are a professional who may work for companies or individuals. Their job responsibilities may include typing up letters, filling out forms, creating transcriptions of audio recordings, or organizing documents. They may also have to answer phones.
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.
Typists and secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Typist | Secretary | |
| Average salary | $32,143 | $36,442 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $48,000 | Between $26,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a typist and a secretary in terms of educational background:
| Typist | Secretary | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between typists' and secretaries' demographics:
| Typist | Secretary | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8% | Male, 10.1% Female, 89.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 10.7% Asian, 4.7% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |