Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Also called: Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.
Also called: Administrative Assistant (Admin Assistant), Administrative Associate, Administrative Clerk, Administrative Coordinator, Administrative Liaison, Administrative Resources Associate
Median pay
$47,540
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$33,280 – $66,350
People employed
1,706,790
Holland code
CES
Conventional · Enterprising · Social
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 2.Are you OK repeating the same tasks most of the day?
- 3.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 4.Are you comfortable sitting at a desk most of the day?
- 5.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
- 6.Are you comfortable following clear instructions?
- 7.Do you want to stay at 40 hours a week or less?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive do
- 01Answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or transfer calls to appropriate individuals.
- 02Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
- 03Create, maintain, and enter information into databases.
- 04Use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing.
- 05Perform payroll functions, such as maintaining timekeeping information and processing and submitting payroll.
- 06Collect and deposit money into accounts, disburse funds from cash accounts to pay bills or invoices, keep records of collections and disbursements, and ensure accounts are balanced.
Skills that matter most
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge
- Administrative
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cooperation
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Office Clerks, General95% · −5%
- Correspondence Clerks91% · −2%
- Court, Municipal, and License Clerks88% · +2%
- File Clerks87% · −8%
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping86% · +6%
Change into secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Office Clerks, General95% · $45,010
- Correspondence Clerks94% · $46,800
- Receptionists and Information Clerks93% · $38,010
- Court, Municipal, and License Clerks91% · $48,700
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping88% · $50,610
Majors that lead here
- Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General
- Executive Assistant/Executive Secretary
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.