What You Need to Know About Secretary or Administrative Assistant
Occupation Description Perform routine clerical and administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.
Life As a Secretary or Administrative Assistant: What Do They Do?
- Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
- Open, read, route, and distribute incoming mail or other materials and answer routine letters.
- Use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing.
- Arrange conference, meeting, or travel reservations for office personnel.
- Coordinate conferences, meetings, or special events, such as luncheons or graduation ceremonies.
- Prepare and mail checks.
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Qualities of a Secretary or Administrative Assistant
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Types of Secretary or Administrative Assistant Jobs
- Administrative Support Assistant (ASA)
- Office Secretary
- Secretary-Bookkeeper
- Administrative Support Specialist
- School Secretary
Are There Job Opportunities for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants?
In the United States, there were 2,536,200 jobs for Secretary or Administrative Assistant in 2016. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Secretary or Administrative Assistant. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 244,300 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Secretary or Administrative Assistant are Colorado, Washington, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Vermont, or Illinois. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Secretary or Administrative Assistant Salary
The salary for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants ranges between about $23,060 and $56,010 a year.
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants who work in District of Columbia, Massachusetts, or Connecticut, make the highest salaries.
How much do Secretaries and Administrative Assistants make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $35,670 |
| Alaska | $42,450 |
| Arizona | $36,050 |
| Arkansas | $30,860 |
| California | $43,670 |
| Colorado | $38,810 |
| Connecticut | $46,470 |
| Delaware | $39,930 |
| District of Columbia | $50,140 |
| Florida | $35,080 |
| Georgia | $34,520 |
| Hawaii | $40,290 |
| Idaho | $32,380 |
| Illinois | $37,930 |
| Indiana | $32,720 |
| Iowa | $35,210 |
| Kansas | $33,820 |
| Kentucky | $32,950 |
| Louisiana | $31,880 |
| Maine | $37,150 |
| Maryland | $40,870 |
| Massachusetts | $46,940 |
| Michigan | $36,980 |
| Minnesota | $40,580 |
| Mississippi | $32,160 |
| Missouri | $35,010 |
| Montana | $33,380 |
| Nebraska | $34,100 |
| Nevada | $40,060 |
| New Hampshire | $37,230 |
| New Jersey | $42,600 |
| New Mexico | $34,710 |
| New York | $41,190 |
| North Carolina | $36,630 |
| North Dakota | $38,580 |
| Ohio | $36,320 |
| Oklahoma | $32,090 |
| Oregon | $39,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,080 |
| Rhode Island | $43,120 |
| South Carolina | $35,510 |
| South Dakota | $29,300 |
| Tennessee | $35,000 |
| Texas | $35,550 |
| Utah | $34,400 |
| Vermont | $36,780 |
| Virginia | $39,390 |
| Washington | $43,260 |
| West Virginia | $31,980 |
| Wisconsin | $36,840 |
| Wyoming | $38,130 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Hypertext markup language HTML
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- SAP
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Project
- Spreadsheet software
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Microsoft Visio
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Microsoft Dynamics
- SAS
- Linux
How do I Become a Secretary or Administrative Assistant?
Education needed to be a Secretary or Administrative Assistant:
How many years of work experience do I need?
Who Employs Secretaries and Administrative Assistants?
The table below shows the approximate number of Secretaries and Administrative Assistants employed by various industries.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Are you already one of the many Secretary or Administrative Assistant in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
- Concierges
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping
- Gaming Surveillance Officers and Gaming Investigators
References:
Image Credit: Jace Armstrong via public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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