Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Secretaries and administrative assistants do routine clerical and organizational tasks.
Is medical secretaries and administrative assistants a good career?
It scores 27/100 and ranks #169 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.
Advantages
- High volume of openings — about 85,900 a year
- No college degree typically required to enter
Possible tradeoffs
- Pays below the U.S. median wage ($45,930 vs $61,390)
What medical secretaries and administrative assistants earn
Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. medical secretaries and administrative assistants earn between $38,570 and $50,580 a year.
Best-paying states
Best-paying metros
Strongest employment concentration
Live medical secretaries and administrative assistants jobs
No live medical secretaries and administrative assistants openings yet
When the jobs.best ATS feed launches, verified medical secretaries and administrative assistants openings will appear here — each shown against the $45,930 national median. Nothing here is placeholder.
No placeholder listings · nothing inventedHow to become a medical secretaries and administrative assistant
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Outlook
- Employment is projected to grow little or no change through 2034.
Education
Some community colleges and technical schools offer courses or programs in a variety of secretarial and administrative assistance fields. For example, courses or programs in office procedures focus on working in a business setting; those in industry-specific terminology and practices prepare students for jobs as medical and legal secretaries. Temporary placement agencies also may provide training in word processing, spreadsheet, and database software.
A bachelor's degree typically is not required to become a secretary or administrative assistant. However, some of these workers have a degree in a field such as business, education, or communications. Employers may prefer to hire candidates for executive secretary and executive administrative assistant positions who have taken some college courses or have a bachelor’s degree.
Training
Secretaries and administrative assistants typically learn their skills through on-the-job training that lasts a few weeks. During this time, they learn about administrative procedures, including how to prepare documents. Medical and legal secretaries and administrative assistants may train for several months as they learn industry-specific terminology and practices.
Important qualities
Decision-making skills. Secretaries and administrative assistants often prioritize tasks and make decisions on their employers’ behalf, so good judgment is essential.
Interpersonal skills. Secretaries and administrative assistants interact with clients, customers, or staff. They should communicate effectively and be courteous when interacting with others.
Organizational skills. Secretaries and administrative assistants keep files, folders, and schedules in order so that an office runs efficiently.
Writing skills. Secretaries and administrative assistants write memos and emails when communicating with managers, employees, and customers. Therefore, they must have good grammar, ensure accuracy, and maintain a professional tone.
Related occupations
How much do medical secretaries and administrative assistants make?
The national median wage is $45,930 a year, with the middle half earning between $38,570 and $50,580 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is medical secretaries and administrative assistants a good career?
On the Jobs.best index it scores 27 of 100 and ranks #169 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change +4.2% through 2034.
What education do you need to become a medical secretaries and administrative assistant?
The typical entry-level education is high school diploma or equivalent.
Where do medical secretaries and administrative assistants earn the most?
Among states, Washington pays the highest median ($58,100). Local pay for every state and metro is below.