How much do secretaries earn per hour in the US: What is the average salary?
There are thousands of secretarial jobs available in the United States. We took a look at the average salary and skills needed for this highly demanded role
Secretaries and administrative assistants are high-demand jobs in today’s economy. Glassdoor has over 64,000 job postings for these roles, and the salaries offered vary widely depending on the company and region.
A look at secretarial pay
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for secretaries and administrative assistants was $39,680/year or $19.08/hour in May 2021. This means that fifty percent of secretaries made more than this, and the other half made less. When looking at the bottom ten percent of earners, the average wage offered was less than $28,920, while the top ten were making $63,100 or more.
However, salary tends to differ depending on the sector the secretary works in. For example, the BLS found that the median wage for executive secretaries was $62,060, while those working in the medical sector only made $37,450.
Which high demand sectors offer the highest wages?
| Sector | Median Wage |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | $47,150 |
| Government | $46,950 |
| Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations | $43,860 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | $39,990 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | $37,660 |
Which states offer secretaries the highest salaries?
For secretaries and administrative in the legal and medical field, the District of Columbia ($51,690), Massachusetts ($49,820), Connecticut ($49,230), Washington ($48,170), and California ($47,930) offer the highest salaries. However, the states with the highest number of secretaries are California (172,560), New York (157,250), and Texas (155,450).
Read more from AS USA:
What skills or education are needed to become a secretary?
While many of the skills secretaries need can be acquired on the job, there are community colleges and technical schools that offer programs to give some a headstart in the field. Those with a bachelor’s degree in business, education, or communications who are struggling to find work may find that they have some skills that would translate to secretarial or administrative work.
What are the responsibilities of a secretary?
Secretarial work can vary on day to day, but some fairly typical responsibilities include the following:
- answering phones and taking messages;
- scheduling events and keeping a calendar up to date
- editing documents;
- preparing memos and reports, and much more.