Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (SOC 43-6013) earn a median $45,930 a year ($22.08 an hour) in the United States, with 961,610 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What medical secretaries and administrative assistants do
Medical secretaries and administrative assistants do secretarial work that draws on knowledge of medical terminology and of hospital, clinic, or laboratory procedures. They answer telephones and direct calls to the right staff, greet visitors and find out why they came, and schedule and confirm patients' diagnostic appointments, surgeries, or medical consultations. They interview patients to complete documents such as case histories and intake or insurance forms, complete insurance or other claim forms, and may bill patients. Medical charts, records, technical libraries, and correspondence files are maintained, and correspondence or medical records go out by mail, e-mail, or fax. They also receive and route messages and documents, such as laboratory results, to the appropriate staff. Alternate titles show the settings, which include clinic offices and dental offices: appointment scheduler, clinic office assistant, dental secretary, and dental receptionist. In its use of medical terminology and procedures, this work differs from that of other secretaries and administrative assistants.
Typical entry: O*NET survey respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the education level for this occupation.
Also called: Administrative Support Specialist, Appointment Scheduler, Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMMA), Client Service Coordinator, Clinic Office Assistant.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.27 | $18.54 | $22.08 | $24.32 | $29.10 | $22.50 | 961,610 |
| Annual | $35,930 | $38,570 | $45,930 | $50,580 | $60,530 | $46,800 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where medical secretaries and administrative assistants earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $21.63 | $23.32 | $27.93 | $30.21 | $35.33 | $27.55 | 10,960 | 3.09 | 0.50 |
| Annual | $44,980 | $48,510 | $58,100 | $62,840 | $73,480 | $57,300 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $19.54 | $22.40 | $26.20 | $30.45 | $36.55 | $27.09 | 115,050 | 6.32 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $40,650 | $46,590 | $54,490 | $63,330 | $76,020 | $56,350 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $19.93 | $22.83 | $24.18 | $28.32 | $30.30 | $25.44 | 22,210 | 6.11 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $41,460 | $47,480 | $50,290 | $58,910 | $63,030 | $52,910 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $19.19 | $22.36 | $24.10 | $28.54 | $30.45 | $25.31 | 16,840 | 8.56 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $39,900 | $46,510 | $50,130 | $59,370 | $63,340 | $52,640 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $20.86 | $23.13 | $24.06 | $28.50 | $29.56 | $25.37 | 16,860 | 5.72 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $43,390 | $48,100 | $50,030 | $59,290 | $61,490 | $52,770 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $19.54 | $22.40 | $26.20 | $30.45 | $36.55 | $27.09 | 115,050 | 6.32 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $40,650 | $46,590 | $54,490 | $63,330 | $76,020 | $56,350 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.26 | $18.06 | $20.06 | $22.74 | $26.94 | $21.02 | 96,000 | 9.67 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $35,900 | $37,570 | $41,730 | $47,300 | $56,030 | $43,720 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $15.91 | $17.87 | $20.63 | $23.01 | $27.20 | $20.80 | 78,740 | 5.60 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $33,090 | $37,170 | $42,910 | $47,850 | $56,570 | $43,270 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $18.48 | $21.23 | $22.94 | $27.07 | $29.40 | $23.82 | 57,720 | 5.96 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $38,430 | $44,160 | $47,710 | $56,310 | $61,160 | $49,540 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $17.25 | $18.24 | $21.24 | $22.81 | $26.58 | $21.06 | 56,840 | 11.50 | 1.86 |
| Annual | $35,880 | $37,930 | $44,190 | $47,440 | $55,290 | $43,790 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $22.09 | $27.14 | $33.34 | $38.61 | $39.35 | $33.05 | 6,340 | 5.58 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $45,960 | $56,440 | $69,350 | $80,300 | $81,860 | $68,750 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $22.79 | $25.50 | $29.73 | $36.94 | $36.95 | $30.53 | 510 | 6.61 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $47,400 | $53,040 | $61,830 | $76,830 | $76,850 | $63,500 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $23.14 | $24.76 | $29.49 | $37.25 | $40.43 | $31.05 | 13,660 | 5.75 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $48,130 | $51,510 | $61,330 | $77,480 | $84,100 | $64,580 | ||||
| Vallejo, CA | Hourly | $22.47 | $23.75 | $29.43 | $37.65 | $39.06 | $30.71 | 990 | 6.85 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $46,740 | $49,410 | $61,220 | $78,320 | $81,250 | $63,880 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $22.55 | $24.58 | $29.01 | $30.95 | $36.17 | $29.17 | 6,420 | 3.08 | 0.50 |
| Annual | $46,900 | $51,130 | $60,350 | $64,370 | $75,230 | $60,670 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $18.73 | $22.25 | $23.67 | $28.10 | $30.56 | $24.94 | 52,640 | 5.55 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $38,950 | $46,280 | $49,230 | $58,450 | $63,560 | $51,870 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $18.58 | $21.91 | $24.72 | $29.03 | $35.68 | $26.04 | 40,380 | 6.44 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $38,650 | $45,570 | $51,410 | $60,370 | $74,220 | $54,150 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $17.40 | $18.35 | $21.66 | $23.05 | $28.19 | $21.62 | 27,020 | 9.58 | 1.55 |
| Annual | $36,190 | $38,170 | $45,060 | $47,950 | $58,640 | $44,960 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $17.36 | $18.38 | $22.29 | $23.41 | $28.74 | $22.17 | 22,590 | 7.82 | 1.26 |
| Annual | $36,100 | $38,230 | $46,370 | $48,690 | $59,780 | $46,110 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $17.21 | $18.32 | $21.94 | $23.87 | $27.94 | $21.79 | 21,700 | 5.36 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $35,790 | $38,110 | $45,630 | $49,650 | $58,110 | $45,330 | ||||
Top industries employing medical secretaries and administrative assistants
Offices of Physicians employ 31.0% of medical secretaries and administrative assistants nationally (297,820 jobs) at a median $44,610 a year ($21.45 an hour), followed by General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (23.0%) and Offices of Dentists (12.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offices of Physicians NAICS 621100 | 297,820 | 31.0% | $44,610 | $21.45 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 221,430 | 23.0% | $47,070 | $22.63 |
| Offices of Dentists NAICS 621200 | 120,490 | 12.5% | $47,990 | $23.07 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners NAICS 621300 | 80,840 | 8.4% | $40,350 | $19.40 |
| Outpatient Care Centers NAICS 621400 | 67,530 | 7.0% | $47,310 | $22.75 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (961,610). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $37,450 for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in May 2021 and $45,930 in May 2025, with employment of 656,640 and 961,610.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $37,450 | $18.01 | 656,640 |
| May 2022 | $38,500 | $18.51 | 682,630 |
| May 2023 | $40,640 | $19.54 | 749,500 |
| May 2024 | $44,640 | $21.46 | 830,760 |
| May 2025 | $45,930 | $22.08 | 961,610 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $27.93 | $58,100 | $44,980 | $73,480 | 10,960 | 3.09 | 0.50 |
| 2 | California profile | $26.20 | $54,490 | $40,650 | $76,020 | 115,050 | 6.32 | 1.02 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | $24.18 | $50,290 | $41,460 | $63,030 | 22,210 | 6.11 | 0.99 |
| 4 | Oregon profile | $24.10 | $50,130 | $39,900 | $63,340 | 16,840 | 8.56 | 1.38 |
| 5 | Minnesota profile | $24.06 | $50,030 | $43,390 | $61,490 | 16,860 | 5.72 | 0.92 |
| 6 | Hawaii profile | $24.00 | $49,920 | $38,750 | $59,360 | 2,160 | 3.44 | 0.56 |
| 7 | District of Columbia profile | $23.64 | $49,180 | $45,400 | $59,810 | 1,930 | 2.75 | 0.44 |
| 8 | New Jersey profile | $23.39 | $48,660 | $38,310 | $62,400 | 20,980 | 4.90 | 0.79 |
| 9 | Connecticut profile | $23.32 | $48,500 | $40,380 | $62,580 | 6,480 | 3.82 | 0.62 |
| 10 | New Hampshire profile | $23.27 | $48,410 | $39,440 | $59,600 | 3,680 | 5.38 | 0.87 |
| 11 | Wisconsin profile | $23.26 | $48,380 | $39,640 | $58,190 | 7,760 | 2.64 | 0.43 |
| 12 | Vermont profile | $23.17 | $48,200 | $40,020 | $60,010 | 2,390 | 7.86 | 1.27 |
| 13 | Alaska profile | $23.02 | $47,870 | $36,240 | $60,410 | 2,520 | 7.74 | 1.25 |
| 14 | Maryland profile | $23.00 | $47,850 | $38,070 | $61,750 | 17,290 | 6.26 | 1.01 |
| 15 | New York profile | $22.94 | $47,710 | $38,430 | $61,160 | 57,720 | 5.96 | 0.96 |
| 16 | Maine profile | $22.59 | $46,990 | $39,710 | $58,160 | 4,610 | 7.19 | 1.16 |
| 17 | Nevada profile | $22.59 | $46,990 | $36,770 | $58,360 | 7,030 | 4.53 | 0.73 |
| 18 | Colorado profile | $22.56 | $46,920 | $38,100 | $57,990 | 11,560 | 4.02 | 0.65 |
| 19 | Rhode Island profile | $22.53 | $46,860 | $40,630 | $61,330 | 2,350 | 4.69 | 0.76 |
| 20 | Illinois profile | $22.44 | $46,670 | $37,440 | $58,320 | 27,560 | 4.52 | 0.73 |
| 21 | Virginia profile | $22.20 | $46,180 | $37,180 | $58,350 | 27,600 | 6.72 | 1.09 |
| 22 | Nebraska profile | $22.17 | $46,100 | $38,100 | $57,200 | 4,110 | 4.02 | 0.65 |
| 23 | Arizona profile | $22.03 | $45,820 | $33,860 | $60,110 | 18,090 | 5.58 | 0.90 |
| 24 | South Dakota profile | $22.03 | $45,810 | $39,270 | $53,120 | 80 | 0.18 | 0.03 |
| 25 | North Dakota profile | $21.82 | $45,390 | $37,440 | $58,140 | 1,120 | 2.62 | 0.42 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania profile | $21.60 | $44,930 | $36,280 | $58,170 | 27,600 | 4.55 | 0.74 |
| 27 | Idaho profile | $21.60 | $44,920 | $35,360 | $57,870 | 5,120 | 5.97 | 0.97 |
| 28 | Delaware profile | $21.39 | $44,500 | $36,400 | $57,980 | 4,510 | 9.31 | 1.51 |
| 29 | Wyoming profile | $21.36 | $44,430 | $36,400 | $59,440 | 1,110 | 3.94 | 0.64 |
| 30 | Utah profile | $21.31 | $44,330 | $34,510 | $57,080 | 5,260 | 3.03 | 0.49 |
| 31 | Ohio profile | $21.29 | $44,280 | $36,730 | $56,830 | 29,110 | 5.25 | 0.85 |
| 32 | New Mexico profile | $21.27 | $44,230 | $36,210 | $57,790 | 4,590 | 5.27 | 0.85 |
| 33 | North Carolina profile | $21.24 | $44,190 | $35,880 | $55,290 | 56,840 | 11.50 | 1.86 |
| 34 | Indiana profile | $21.18 | $44,060 | $35,970 | $56,610 | 21,180 | 6.62 | 1.07 |
| 35 | Missouri profile | $21.14 | $43,980 | $35,520 | $55,730 | 12,260 | 4.18 | 0.68 |
| 36 | Montana profile | $21.03 | $43,740 | $35,990 | $51,690 | 4,410 | 8.62 | 1.39 |
| 37 | Georgia profile | $20.75 | $43,160 | $34,460 | $58,290 | 39,380 | 8.06 | 1.30 |
| 38 | Kansas profile | $20.68 | $43,020 | $35,590 | $53,910 | 6,470 | 4.50 | 0.73 |
| 39 | Texas profile | $20.63 | $42,910 | $33,090 | $56,570 | 78,740 | 5.60 | 0.90 |
| 40 | Florida profile | $20.06 | $41,730 | $35,900 | $56,030 | 96,000 | 9.67 | 1.56 |
| 41 | Michigan profile | $19.76 | $41,100 | $36,330 | $50,840 | 27,960 | 6.35 | 1.03 |
| 42 | Iowa profile | $19.70 | $40,980 | $35,240 | $50,130 | 10,560 | 6.77 | 1.10 |
| 43 | South Carolina profile | $19.31 | $40,170 | $34,780 | $56,890 | 15,630 | 6.78 | 1.10 |
| 44 | Tennessee profile | $19.20 | $39,940 | $31,960 | $57,670 | 41,810 | 12.75 | 2.06 |
| 45 | Kentucky profile | $18.63 | $38,750 | $30,700 | $49,770 | 26,430 | 13.21 | 2.14 |
| 46 | West Virginia profile | $18.48 | $38,430 | $30,910 | $50,690 | 1,550 | 2.21 | 0.36 |
| 47 | Oklahoma profile | $18.43 | $38,330 | $30,730 | $48,690 | 8,430 | 4.94 | 0.80 |
| 48 | Arkansas profile | $17.79 | $37,000 | $31,690 | $47,960 | 2,190 | 1.68 | 0.27 |
| 49 | Alabama profile | $17.76 | $36,930 | $29,890 | $50,900 | 16,580 | 7.84 | 1.27 |
| 50 | Louisiana profile | $17.75 | $36,930 | $30,090 | $49,050 | 2,970 | 1.53 | 0.25 |
| 51 | Mississippi profile | $17.45 | $36,290 | $29,890 | $49,410 | ** | ** | ** |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (43-6010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Office and Administrative Support Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 43-6013 Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 43-6013, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 43-6013.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.