State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive earn a median of $47,540 per year ($22.86/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 1.6% through 2034, with about 202,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 43-6014Office and Administrative SupportLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $47,540
- Projected growth
- -1.6%
- Openings a year
- 202,800
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Administrative Assistant (Admin Assistant), Administrative Clerk, Administrative Secretary (Admin Secretary), Administrative Specialist (Admin Specialist), Administrative Support Assistant (ASA), Administrative Technician.
How much do Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive make?
10th percentile$33,280
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$38,830
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$47,540
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$58,000
Upper quartile
90th percentile$66,350
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $47,540 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $22.86/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $49,350 |
| People employed | 1,706,790 |
Versus all US occupations
At $47,540, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive earn 7% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $3,440 a year.
Versus office and administrative support occupations
The median is typical for the Office and Administrative Support group, where the middle occupation pays $48,500.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $66,350 or more while the bottom 10% earn $33,280, a gap of 2.0×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 22% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($59,910), but once local prices are taken into account Connecticut leads at $55,217 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $59,910 | $54,513 | 11,800 |
| Massachusetts | $57,940 | $54,786 | 37,750 |
| Washington | $57,330 | $53,573 | 31,710 |
| Connecticut | $57,210 | $55,217 | 22,650 |
| California | $55,400 | $50,036 | 158,630 |
| Rhode Island | $52,140 | $50,978 | 5,200 |
| Oregon | $51,740 | $50,058 | 23,150 |
| Minnesota | $51,400 | $52,119 | 31,330 |
| Hawaii | $50,830 | $46,230 | 7,020 |
| New Jersey | $50,260 | $46,193 | 65,960 |
Is Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive a growing career?
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive-1.6%
All US occupations3.1%
-1.6% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive to change -1.6% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 30,800 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 202,800 openings are projected each year, 10.4% of the 1,944,000 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of secretaries and administrative assistants is projected to decline 0 percent from 2024 to 2034.
Despite declining employment, about 358,300 openings for secretaries and administrative assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of secretaries and administrative assistants varies by occupation (see table).
How to become a Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
High school graduates who are comfortable using word processing and spreadsheet programs typically qualify for entry-level positions. Although workers typically learn their duties over several weeks on the job, legal and medical secretaries and administrative assistants may need additional training to learn industry-specific terminology. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants typically need several years of related work experience.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive.
- High School Diploma49.9%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)22.4%
- Bachelor's Degree11.0%
- Some College Courses10.2%
- Post-Secondary Certificate6.5%
What does a Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive do?
Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.
Secretaries and administrative assistants do routine clerical and organizational tasks. They arrange files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.
Day-to-day tasks
- 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.
- Make copies of correspondence or other printed material.
- Set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, recording information, updating paperwork, or maintaining documents, such as attendance records, correspondence, or other material.
- Conduct searches to find needed information, using such sources as the Internet.
- Complete forms in accordance with company procedures.
- Create, maintain, and enter information into databases.
- Answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or transfer calls to appropriate individuals.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Reading Comprehension3.9/5
- Writing3.8/5
- Monitoring3.1/5
- Critical Thinking3.0/5
- Active Learning2.9/5
- Learning Strategies2.1/5
Transferable skills
- Service Orientation3.5/5
- Time Management3.5/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.9/5
- Management of Personnel Resources2.6/5
- Negotiation2.4/5
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic2.0
Investigative1.4
Artistic1.0
Socialprimary3.6
Enterprisingprimary4.2
Conventionalprimary7.0
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive: frequently asked questions
How much do Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive make?
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive earn a median of $47,540 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 7% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $22.86/hr. The middle half earn between $38,830 and $58,000. The top 10% earn $66,350 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 49.9% hold high school diploma.
Is Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 1.6% over 2024–2034, a loss of 30,800 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 202,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive do?
Secretaries and administrative assistants do routine clerical and organizational tasks. A core O*NET task: use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Analytical or scientific software, Cloud-based data access and sharing software.
Which states pay Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive the most?
The highest state medians for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive are District of Columbia ($59,910), Massachusetts ($57,940), Washington ($57,330) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Connecticut moves to the top at $55,217.
What personality type suits a Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive?
O*NET scores Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Social interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.