Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
SOC 43-6014BLS OEWS May 2025
Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers. Excludes legal, medical, and executive secretaries (43-6011 through 43-6013).
National median · BLS
$47,540
▲ +2.7%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$49,350
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
1,706,790
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$33,280
25th
$38,830
Median (50th)
$47,540
75th
$58,000
90th — top pay
$66,350
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
BLS projects employment of secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive to decline 6% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%.
About 163,900 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
1,889,800 → 1,775,700
-114,100 jobs
Projected change
-6%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
163,900
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
1.5% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive do
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.
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $47,540.
