Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive (SOC 43-6014) earn a median $47,540 a year ($22.86 an hour) in the United States, with 1,706,790 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive do
Secretaries and administrative assistants in this group perform routine administrative functions in an office or department. The group excludes legal, medical, and executive secretaries, who have their own codes. They answer telephones, give information to callers, take messages, and transfer calls, and they welcome visitors and callers, deal with their questions, or send them to the right person. They draft correspondence, schedule and confirm appointments for clients, customers, or supervisors, and operate email systems to coordinate the flow of information within the organization and with other organizations. They set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, keeping records such as attendance records and correspondence up to date, and they create, maintain, and enter information into databases. They use computers for work like database management and word processing, and they operate office equipment such as fax machines, copiers, and phone systems and arrange repairs when equipment malfunctions. Titles for the work include administrative assistant, administrative clerk, and administrative coordinator.
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 Assistant (Admin Assistant), Administrative Associate, Administrative Clerk, Administrative Coordinator, Administrative Liaison.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.00 | $18.67 | $22.86 | $27.89 | $31.90 | $23.73 | 1,706,790 |
| Annual | $33,280 | $38,830 | $47,540 | $58,000 | $66,350 | $49,350 | ||
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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive 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 | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.98 | $22.77 | $28.80 | $35.26 | $40.53 | $29.46 | 11,800 | 16.82 | 1.53 |
| Annual | $39,480 | $47,370 | $59,910 | $73,340 | $84,290 | $61,270 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $19.96 | $23.15 | $27.86 | $30.88 | $37.69 | $28.07 | 37,750 | 10.38 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $41,510 | $48,150 | $57,940 | $64,240 | $78,400 | $58,380 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $20.80 | $23.48 | $27.56 | $31.07 | $35.94 | $27.95 | 31,710 | 8.93 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $43,250 | $48,840 | $57,330 | $64,620 | $74,750 | $58,130 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $19.57 | $22.90 | $27.51 | $31.76 | $37.64 | $28.07 | 22,650 | 13.36 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $40,700 | $47,630 | $57,210 | $66,050 | $78,300 | $58,390 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $18.30 | $22.30 | $26.64 | $31.44 | $37.58 | $27.74 | 158,630 | 8.71 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $38,060 | $46,390 | $55,400 | $65,400 | $78,170 | $57,710 | ||||
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 | $18.30 | $22.30 | $26.64 | $31.44 | $37.58 | $27.74 | 158,630 | 8.71 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $38,060 | $46,390 | $55,400 | $65,400 | $78,170 | $57,710 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $14.33 | $17.32 | $21.70 | $25.74 | $30.30 | $22.04 | 149,650 | 10.64 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $29,810 | $36,030 | $45,140 | $53,540 | $63,020 | $45,850 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $17.95 | $21.12 | $23.85 | $28.41 | $31.17 | $24.76 | 122,490 | 12.64 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $37,330 | $43,920 | $49,600 | $59,100 | $64,840 | $51,490 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $16.05 | $18.19 | $22.07 | $25.65 | $30.45 | $23.43 | 104,000 | 10.47 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $33,380 | $37,840 | $45,900 | $53,340 | $63,340 | $48,730 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.35 | $18.77 | $23.23 | $29.41 | $36.92 | $25.03 | 74,280 | 12.18 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $31,930 | $39,050 | $48,310 | $61,180 | $76,790 | $52,070 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Haven, CT | Hourly | $21.12 | $24.46 | $30.67 | $37.28 | $38.52 | $30.44 | 4,780 | 16.97 | 1.55 |
| Annual | $43,940 | $50,880 | $63,800 | $77,540 | $80,130 | $63,320 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $22.13 | $25.59 | $30.26 | $37.20 | $42.93 | $31.93 | 7,970 | 7.02 | 0.64 |
| Annual | $46,040 | $53,220 | $62,940 | $77,380 | $89,290 | $66,410 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $21.90 | $24.86 | $29.86 | $37.34 | $43.37 | $31.78 | 20,270 | 8.54 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $45,550 | $51,700 | $62,110 | $77,660 | $90,220 | $66,110 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $21.98 | $24.38 | $28.96 | $32.73 | $38.69 | $29.62 | 15,780 | 7.56 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $45,720 | $50,700 | $60,230 | $68,080 | $80,470 | $61,610 | ||||
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | Hourly | $21.14 | $24.31 | $28.61 | $31.78 | $35.87 | $28.89 | 830 | 8.87 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $43,970 | $50,550 | $59,510 | $66,110 | $74,610 | $60,090 | ||||
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 | $18.00 | $21.70 | $24.73 | $29.40 | $33.73 | $25.63 | 122,680 | 12.93 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $37,440 | $45,140 | $51,440 | $61,150 | $70,160 | $53,310 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.51 | $21.50 | $25.75 | $30.91 | $36.78 | $27.08 | 58,800 | 9.38 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $36,420 | $44,720 | $53,550 | $64,290 | $76,510 | $56,320 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $16.49 | $20.32 | $24.25 | $30.27 | $37.89 | $26.26 | 50,190 | 11.12 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $34,300 | $42,260 | $50,440 | $62,970 | $78,820 | $54,630 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $15.86 | $18.32 | $22.81 | $27.53 | $30.87 | $23.20 | 37,550 | 9.27 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $32,990 | $38,100 | $47,450 | $57,250 | $64,200 | $48,260 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $18.22 | $21.52 | $25.80 | $30.81 | $38.30 | $27.12 | 37,010 | 11.80 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $37,890 | $44,750 | $53,660 | $64,090 | $79,660 | $56,400 | ||||
Top industries employing secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
Elementary and Secondary Schools employ 12.7% of secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive nationally (216,820 jobs) at a median $47,050 a year ($22.62 an hour), followed by Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (6.9%) and Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (5.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 216,820 | 12.7% | $47,050 | $22.62 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 118,380 | 6.9% | $50,170 | $24.12 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 87,360 | 5.1% | $48,760 | $23.44 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 57,120 | 3.3% | $47,390 | $22.79 |
| Real Estate NAICS 531000 | 51,950 | 3.0% | $46,910 | $22.55 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (1,706,790). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $37,880 for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive in May 2021 and $47,540 in May 2025, with employment of 1,825,980 and 1,706,790.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $37,880 | $18.21 | 1,825,980 |
| May 2022 | $41,000 | $19.71 | 1,826,710 |
| May 2023 | $44,280 | $21.29 | 1,785,430 |
| May 2024 | $46,290 | $22.26 | 1,737,820 |
| May 2025 | $47,540 | $22.86 | 1,706,790 |
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 | District of Columbia profile | $28.80 | $59,910 | $39,480 | $84,290 | 11,800 | 16.82 | 1.53 |
| 2 | Massachusetts profile | $27.86 | $57,940 | $41,510 | $78,400 | 37,750 | 10.38 | 0.95 |
| 3 | Washington profile | $27.56 | $57,330 | $43,250 | $74,750 | 31,710 | 8.93 | 0.81 |
| 4 | Connecticut profile | $27.51 | $57,210 | $40,700 | $78,300 | 22,650 | 13.36 | 1.22 |
| 5 | California profile | $26.64 | $55,400 | $38,060 | $78,170 | 158,630 | 8.71 | 0.79 |
| 6 | Rhode Island profile | $25.07 | $52,140 | $38,000 | $72,800 | 5,200 | 10.37 | 0.95 |
| 7 | Oregon profile | $24.88 | $51,740 | $38,480 | $70,320 | 23,150 | 11.77 | 1.07 |
| 8 | Minnesota profile | $24.71 | $51,400 | $38,080 | $66,830 | 31,330 | 10.62 | 0.97 |
| 9 | Hawaii profile | $24.44 | $50,830 | $38,480 | $68,120 | 7,020 | 11.19 | 1.02 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | $24.16 | $50,260 | $36,150 | $72,180 | 65,960 | 15.39 | 1.40 |
| 11 | Maine profile | $23.95 | $49,820 | $39,530 | $63,470 | 6,740 | 10.53 | 0.96 |
| 12 | New York profile | $23.85 | $49,600 | $37,330 | $64,840 | 122,490 | 12.64 | 1.15 |
| 13 | Vermont profile | $23.52 | $48,920 | $39,330 | $61,740 | 3,360 | 11.07 | 1.01 |
| 14 | Colorado profile | $23.41 | $48,690 | $37,300 | $64,960 | 29,120 | 10.13 | 0.92 |
| 15 | Maryland profile | $23.41 | $48,680 | $35,360 | $67,070 | 54,890 | 19.87 | 1.81 |
| 16 | Alaska profile | $23.33 | $48,530 | $35,360 | $64,620 | 5,390 | 16.55 | 1.51 |
| 17 | Illinois profile | $23.23 | $48,310 | $31,930 | $76,790 | 74,280 | 12.18 | 1.11 |
| 18 | New Hampshire profile | $23.12 | $48,080 | $34,380 | $63,690 | 9,050 | 13.24 | 1.21 |
| 19 | Delaware profile | $23.06 | $47,970 | $35,930 | $64,170 | 6,320 | 13.03 | 1.19 |
| 20 | Arizona profile | $23.05 | $47,940 | $36,420 | $67,980 | 31,220 | 9.64 | 0.88 |
| 21 | Wisconsin profile | $22.94 | $47,710 | $36,680 | $61,940 | 28,100 | 9.55 | 0.87 |
| 22 | Virginia profile | $22.89 | $47,620 | $34,040 | $66,700 | 31,580 | 7.68 | 0.70 |
| 23 | North Dakota profile | $22.83 | $47,480 | $34,920 | $60,780 | 5,800 | 13.50 | 1.23 |
| 24 | Utah profile | $22.62 | $47,050 | $31,600 | $63,850 | 14,870 | 8.57 | 0.78 |
| 25 | Nebraska profile | $22.48 | $46,760 | $35,900 | $62,130 | 16,240 | 15.85 | 1.44 |
| 26 | Nevada profile | $22.39 | $46,570 | $34,180 | $63,210 | 16,790 | 10.82 | 0.99 |
| 27 | New Mexico profile | $22.33 | $46,450 | $33,870 | $61,820 | 25,430 | 29.20 | 2.66 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania profile | $22.25 | $46,270 | $32,040 | $61,800 | 65,310 | 10.77 | 0.98 |
| 29 | Ohio profile | $22.22 | $46,230 | $32,130 | $63,150 | 54,790 | 9.87 | 0.90 |
| 30 | Michigan profile | $22.12 | $46,020 | $33,360 | $63,950 | 40,830 | 9.27 | 0.84 |
| 31 | Florida profile | $22.07 | $45,900 | $33,380 | $63,340 | 104,000 | 10.47 | 0.95 |
| 32 | Tennessee profile | $22.03 | $45,810 | $29,660 | $63,130 | 34,580 | 10.55 | 0.96 |
| 33 | North Carolina profile | $22.01 | $45,790 | $31,720 | $61,750 | 43,690 | 8.84 | 0.81 |
| 34 | Wyoming profile | $21.85 | $45,450 | $35,140 | $61,150 | 2,250 | 8.01 | 0.73 |
| 35 | Iowa profile | $21.71 | $45,150 | $33,880 | $60,760 | 12,830 | 8.23 | 0.75 |
| 36 | Texas profile | $21.70 | $45,140 | $29,810 | $63,020 | 149,650 | 10.64 | 0.97 |
| 37 | South Carolina profile | $21.58 | $44,880 | $29,100 | $61,660 | 30,180 | 13.09 | 1.19 |
| 38 | Indiana profile | $21.29 | $44,270 | $31,220 | $60,160 | 20,100 | 6.28 | 0.57 |
| 39 | Kentucky profile | $21.25 | $44,200 | $30,470 | $60,470 | 18,420 | 9.21 | 0.84 |
| 40 | Montana profile | $21.13 | $43,940 | $30,430 | $55,970 | 4,520 | 8.83 | 0.80 |
| 41 | Idaho profile | $21.01 | $43,710 | $29,890 | $58,820 | 7,570 | 8.83 | 0.80 |
| 42 | Missouri profile | $20.93 | $43,540 | $30,890 | $60,270 | 33,180 | 11.30 | 1.03 |
| 43 | Kansas profile | $20.32 | $42,270 | $30,340 | $58,690 | 32,120 | 22.35 | 2.04 |
| 44 | South Dakota profile | $20.05 | $41,700 | $31,200 | $51,480 | 6,120 | 13.39 | 1.22 |
| 45 | Alabama profile | $20.01 | $41,630 | $29,170 | $59,090 | 45,050 | 21.31 | 1.94 |
| 46 | Georgia profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $26,330 | $62,090 | 44,430 | 9.09 | 0.83 |
| 47 | West Virginia profile | $19.41 | $40,370 | $28,820 | $57,970 | 8,820 | 12.58 | 1.15 |
| 48 | Oklahoma profile | $19.07 | $39,660 | $27,110 | $56,630 | 20,120 | 11.78 | 1.07 |
| 49 | Louisiana profile | $18.65 | $38,790 | $26,680 | $56,340 | 28,040 | 14.49 | 1.32 |
| 50 | Arkansas profile | $18.09 | $37,630 | $28,540 | $55,060 | 8,590 | 6.59 | 0.60 |
| 51 | Mississippi profile | $17.95 | $37,340 | $25,770 | $57,870 | 14,720 | 12.66 | 1.15 |
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 43-6014 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive.
- 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 43-6014, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 43-6014.00, 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.