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The differences between word processing secretaries and department 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 word processing secretary and a department secretary. Additionally, a word processing secretary has an average salary of $43,970, which is higher than the $35,473 average annual salary of a department secretary.
The top three skills for a word processing secretary include scheduling appointments, telephone calls and travel arrangements. The most important skills for a department secretary are patients, customer service, and data entry.
| Word Processing Secretary | Department Secretary | |
| Yearly salary | $43,970 | $35,473 |
| Hourly rate | $21.14 | $17.05 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 16,057 | 80,303 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Word processing secretaries and department secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Word Processing Secretary | Department Secretary | |
| Average salary | $43,970 | $35,473 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $65,000 | Between $26,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Brigham and Women's Hospital |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a word processing secretary and a department secretary in terms of educational background:
| Word Processing Secretary | Department Secretary | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between word processing secretaries' and department secretaries' demographics:
| Word Processing Secretary | Department Secretary | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.6% Female, 91.4% | Male, 7.0% Female, 93.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |