What is a school secretary and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
Anne McConnell Ph.D.

We all know how busy school administration can get. Admin members take care of the needs of the kids, faculty, and other stakeholders and manage the facilities and other personnel. Schedule and paperwork may get hectic at times. This is why school secretaries are important members of the administrative team. School secretaries manage the school calendar, admin-related appointments, and communication lines.

They are also in charge of handling public announcements and are the ones assigned to respond to inquiries from parents, children, or other stakeholders. School secretaries also manage and maintain documents such as student records and requirements. They also welcome visitors and call on school administrators with appointments. This role is similar to company secretary jobs.

If you are interested in that type of work but would prefer to be in a different environment, this would be a good option for you. You just need to have great communication skills and lots of patience!

What general advice would you give to a School Secretary?

A

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

Professor, West Virginia State University

I would say it's important to be very attentive to the way you communicate with your employers, managers, and co-workers. Even sending an e-mail can be an opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism and communication skills. Some people think that no one knows how to write anymore, or how to communicate in a professional way. I don't think that's true. But we don't always think about how our writing can be a tool to communicate our competence and seriousness. If you know how to write and communicate professionally-which college grads do-then make sure to demonstrate that in the workplace.
ScoreSchool SecretaryUS Average
Salary
2.7

Avg. Salary $35,126

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
6.0

Growth Rate -8%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 3.82%

Black or African American 9.20%

Hispanic or Latino 16.11%

Unknown 3.87%

White 66.27%

Gender

female 94.16%

male 5.84%

Age - 52
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 52
Stress Level
6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
4.4

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
7.6

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

School Secretary career paths

Key steps to become a school secretary

  1. Explore school secretary education requirements

    Most common school secretary degrees

    Bachelor's

    41.4 %

    Associate

    26.9 %

    High School Diploma

    17.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific school secretary skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Word Processing12.29%
    Payroll11.94%
    Math6.98%
    Purchase Orders6.55%
    Data Entry6.37%
  3. Complete relevant school secretary training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New school secretaries learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a school secretary based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real school secretary resumes.
  4. Gain additional school secretary certifications

    School secretary certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific school secretary certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for school secretaries include Word 2010 Certification and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research school secretary duties and responsibilities

    • Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.
    • Coordinate department payroll, electronic share files, and general office operations.
    • Compose all correspondence and prepare presentations via PowerPoint.
    • Create PowerPoint presentations used for teachers professional development.
  6. Prepare your school secretary resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your school secretary resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a school secretary resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable School Secretary Resume templates

    Build a professional School Secretary resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your School Secretary resume.
    School Secretary Resume
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    School Secretary Resume
  7. Apply for school secretary jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a school secretary job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First School Secretary Job

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Are you a School Secretary?

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Average school secretary salary

The average School Secretary salary in the United States is $35,126 per year or $17 per hour. School secretary salaries range between $25,000 and $49,000 per year.

Average School Secretary Salary
$35,126 Yearly
$16.89 hourly

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How do school secretaries rate their job?

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School Secretary reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2022
Pros

Writing a message,Organizing receipts and expenses and sending them out when needed

Cons

Failure to comply with working hours, theft and fraud,


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

It my passion to help people in need. It makes me feel good to see people the Youth do well in the life

Cons

I don't like to see anyone stuck in between and not being helped.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

everything except phones : Meeting,greeting, customer service, interviewing, on boarding, recruiting, presenting, etc.

Cons

phones - because of my accent


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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