Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33,280 | $16.00 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $47,540 | $22.86 |
| Mean (average) | $49,350 | $23.73 |
| 90th percentile | $66,350 | $31.90 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $41,630 | $29,170 | $59,090 | 45,050 | 1.94 |
| Alaska | $48,530 | $35,360 | $64,620 | 5,390 | 1.51 |
| Arizona | $47,940 | $36,420 | $67,980 | 31,220 | 0.88 |
| Arkansas | $37,630 | $28,540 | $55,060 | 8,590 | 0.6 |
| California | $55,400 | $38,060 | $78,170 | 158,630 | 0.79 |
| Colorado | $48,690 | $37,300 | $64,960 | 29,120 | 0.92 |
| Connecticut | $57,210 | $40,700 | $78,300 | 22,650 | 1.22 |
| Delaware | $47,970 | $35,930 | $64,170 | 6,320 | 1.19 |
| District of Columbia | $59,910 | $39,480 | $84,290 | 11,800 | 1.53 |
| Florida | $45,900 | $33,380 | $63,340 | 104,000 | 0.95 |
| Georgia | $41,600 | $26,330 | $62,090 | 44,430 | 0.83 |
| Guam | $36,030 | $25,130 | $55,120 | 1,610 | 2.21 |
| Hawaii | $50,830 | $38,480 | $68,120 | 7,020 | 1.02 |
| Idaho | $43,710 | $29,890 | $58,820 | 7,570 | 0.8 |
| Illinois | $48,310 | $31,930 | $76,790 | 74,280 | 1.11 |
| Indiana | $44,270 | $31,220 | $60,160 | 20,100 | 0.57 |
| Iowa | $45,150 | $33,880 | $60,760 | 12,830 | 0.75 |
| Kansas | $42,270 | $30,340 | $58,690 | 32,120 | 2.04 |
| Kentucky | $44,200 | $30,470 | $60,470 | 18,420 | 0.84 |
| Louisiana | $38,790 | $26,680 | $56,340 | 28,040 | 1.32 |
| Maine | $49,820 | $39,530 | $63,470 | 6,740 | 0.96 |
| Maryland | $48,680 | $35,360 | $67,070 | 54,890 | 1.81 |
| Massachusetts | $57,940 | $41,510 | $78,400 | 37,750 | 0.95 |
| Michigan | $46,020 | $33,360 | $63,950 | 40,830 | 0.84 |
| Minnesota | $51,400 | $38,080 | $66,830 | 31,330 | 0.97 |
| Mississippi | $37,340 | $25,770 | $57,870 | 14,720 | 1.15 |
| Missouri | $43,540 | $30,890 | $60,270 | 33,180 | 1.03 |
| Montana | $43,940 | $30,430 | $55,970 | 4,520 | 0.8 |
| Nebraska | $46,760 | $35,900 | $62,130 | 16,240 | 1.44 |
| Nevada | $46,570 | $34,180 | $63,210 | 16,790 | 0.99 |
| New Hampshire | $48,080 | $34,380 | $63,690 | 9,050 | 1.21 |
| New Jersey | $50,260 | $36,150 | $72,180 | 65,960 | 1.4 |
| New Mexico | $46,450 | $33,870 | $61,820 | 25,430 | 2.66 |
| New York | $49,600 | $37,330 | $64,840 | 122,490 | 1.15 |
| North Carolina | $45,790 | $31,720 | $61,750 | 43,690 | 0.81 |
| North Dakota | $47,480 | $34,920 | $60,780 | 5,800 | 1.23 |
| Ohio | $46,230 | $32,130 | $63,150 | 54,790 | 0.9 |
| Oklahoma | $39,660 | $27,110 | $56,630 | 20,120 | 1.07 |
| Oregon | $51,740 | $38,480 | $70,320 | 23,150 | 1.07 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,270 | $32,040 | $61,800 | 65,310 | 0.98 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,730 | $21,840 | $37,440 | 17,810 | 1.73 |
| Rhode Island | $52,140 | $38,000 | $72,800 | 5,200 | 0.95 |
| South Carolina | $44,880 | $29,100 | $61,660 | 30,180 | 1.19 |
| South Dakota | $41,700 | $31,200 | $51,480 | 6,120 | 1.22 |
| Tennessee | $45,810 | $29,660 | $63,130 | 34,580 | 0.96 |
| Texas | $45,140 | $29,810 | $63,020 | 149,650 | 0.97 |
| Utah | $47,050 | $31,600 | $63,850 | 14,870 | 0.78 |
| Vermont | $48,920 | $39,330 | $61,740 | 3,360 | 1.01 |
| Virgin Islands | $44,040 | $32,380 | $56,490 | 530 | 1.5 |
| Virginia | $47,620 | $34,040 | $66,700 | 31,580 | 0.7 |
| Washington | $57,330 | $43,250 | $74,750 | 31,710 | 0.81 |
| West Virginia | $40,370 | $28,820 | $57,970 | 8,820 | 1.15 |
| Wisconsin | $47,710 | $36,680 | $61,940 | 28,100 | 0.87 |
| Wyoming | $45,450 | $35,140 | $61,150 | 2,250 | 0.73 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 163,900. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1.5%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General CIP 52.0401
- Executive Assistant/Executive Secretary CIP 52.0402
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or transfer calls to appropriate individuals.
- Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
- Create, maintain, and enter information into databases.
- Use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing.
- Operate office equipment, such as fax machines, copiers, or phone systems and arrange for repairs when equipment malfunctions.
- Set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, recording information, updating paperwork, or maintaining documents, such as attendance records, correspondence, or other material.
- Operate electronic mail systems and coordinate the flow of information, internally or with other organizations.
- Schedule and confirm appointments for clients, customers, or supervisors.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Microsoft Word (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Apache Cassandra (hot technology)
- Apache Hadoop (hot technology)
- Apache Hive (hot technology)
- Apache Tomcat (hot technology)
- Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Atlassian Confluence (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Service Orientation, Time Management, Coordination, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving.
Common job titles: Administrative Assistant (Admin Assistant), Administrative Clerk, Administrative Secretary (Admin Secretary), Administrative Specialist (Admin Specialist), Administrative Support Assistant (ASA), Administrative Technician, Department Secretary, Office Assistant, Secretary, Staff Assistant.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive make?
The national median annual wage for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive was $47,540 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $33,280 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $66,350. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive a growing career?
BLS projects employment of secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive to change -6.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 163,900 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($59,910), Massachusetts ($57,940), Washington ($57,330). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.