What is a Secretary or Administrative Assistant?
Career 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.
What Do Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Do On a Daily Basis?
- Prepare and mail checks.
- Create, maintain, and enter information into databases.
- Manage projects or contribute to committee or team work.
- Compose, type, and distribute meeting notes, routine correspondence, or reports, such as presentations or expense, statistical, or monthly reports.
- Provide services to customers, such as order placement or account information.
- Order and dispense supplies.
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Secretary or Administrative Assistant Skills
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 Associate
- Administrative and Program Specialist
- Escrow Secretary
- Office Support Specialist
- School Secretary
Secretary or Administrative Assistant Employment Estimates
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.
Salary for a Secretary or Administrative Assistant
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 |
What Tools & Technology do Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Secretaries and Administrative Assistants may use on a daily basis:
- 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
Becoming a Secretary or Administrative Assistant
Education needed to be a Secretary or Administrative Assistant:
How Long Does it Take to Become a Secretary or Administrative Assistant?
Who Employs Secretaries and Administrative Assistants?
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Career changers with experience as a Secretary or Administrative Assistant sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
- 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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