Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive salary by state
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$51,000
National baseline
Target bonus
$4,500
8.6% of base
Total target cash
$55,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$2,50050th$4,50075th$7,500
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive is a professional role within the function in the Office and Administrative Support job family.
Typical entry preparation: High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
What Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executives do
Typical education: High School Diploma
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.
Top skills:SpeakingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionWritingTime ManagementService Orientation
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pay by experience level
Entry level$34,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$40,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$49,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$60,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$68,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
-1.6%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
202,800
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive salary by industry
Educational Services
346,670 workers
$50,500
Elementary and Secondary Schools
216,820 workers
$49,500
Educational Services, Local Government Owned
208,330 workers
$50,000
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
188,270 workers
$54,500
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
182,040 workers
$54,500
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
118,380 workers
$55,500
Administrative and Support Services
102,830 workers
$48,500
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
87,360 workers
$52,500
Specialty Trade Contractors
85,430 workers
$49,000
Educational Services, Privately Owned
80,610 workers
$50,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 1.5 million people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
91.9%
White
83.8%
Black or African American
8.4%
Asian
4.2%
Hispanic or Latino
17.8%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $38,850 to $47,540.
+22.4% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$34,500
Early career25th percentile
$40,000
Median50th percentile
$49,000
Experienced75th percentile
$60,000
Top earners90th percentile
$68,500
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
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.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$51,000
2027$53,000
2028$54,500
2029$56,500
2030$58,500
2031$60,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
Get your Personal Pay Report for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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How much does a Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive make?
The median market pay for a Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in the United States is about $51,000 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive?
Most Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pay falls between about $40,000 (25th percentile) and $60,000 (75th percentile), with top earners above $68,500.
What does a Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive do?
Core responsibilities include: answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or transfer calls to appropriate individuals; and greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
Is pay for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $38,850 in 2020 to $47,540 in 2025, a change of +22.4% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pays 6% below the average across 55 roles in the Office and Administrative Support job family (family average $54,000).
Similar-paying roles in Office and Administrative Support
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive make?
The average base salary for a Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in the United States is $51,000 per year, or about $24.52 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $40,000 and $60,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Office and Administrative Support roles?
The Office and Administrative Support job family averages $54,000 across 55 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
