Secretaries typically have more administrative duties than personal assistants. They may manage calendars, schedule meetings and take phone calls for their bosses. Personal assistants often have more responsibilities related to taking care of their bosses’ personal lives.

A secretary is clerical and their role involves tasks such as transcription, typing up documents, copying and call handling, mainly supporting the admin assistant. Whereas an admin assistant is more of a decision-maker and will typically work independently, covering the responsibilities of a secretary while having the responsibility of projects.