$Who Earns What

How much does a secretary make?

US Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

Answer: A typical secretary in the United States makes $47,540 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Yearly pay of a typical person doing this job in the US
$47,540

Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 1.7 million people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).

Lower earner
$33,280
10th from the bottom of 100
Typical person
$47,540
Right in the middle (median)
Higher earner
$66,350
10th from the top of 100

If 100 people had this job

Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-right

Hover over a person to see their yearly pay

57 of 100
more than half

Secretary pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)

Secretary pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$33,280$47,540$66,350about 1.7 million
States where secretarys earn the most (median, May 2025)
StateTypical person (median)People in this job
District of Columbia$59,910about 12,000
Massachusetts$57,940about 38,000
Washington$57,330about 32,000
Connecticut$57,210about 23,000
California$55,400about 159,000

Why does pay differ?

In the United States, pay can differ with experience and useful skills, the employer or industry, location, and how difficult or responsible the tasks are. The number of hours worked can also change total earnings.

What if you lived in a different state?

Pay varies a lot by state in the US
Whole US$47,540
District of Columbia$59,910
Massachusetts$57,940
Washington$57,330
Connecticut$57,210
California$55,400
Louisiana$38,790
Arkansas$37,630
Mississippi$37,340

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

What does a secretary do?

Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers. Excludes legal, medical, and executive secretaries (43-6011 through 43-6013).

What's a typical day like?

They begin by checking messages and the calendar, then answer calls, arrange appointments, and set up meetings. They also prepare or proofread documents, update files and databases, and help visitors or coworkers.

How to get this job

In the United States, finish high school and practice word processing, spreadsheets, and databases; a college degree is usually not needed. Apply for an entry-level job, then learn office procedures through a few weeks of on-the-job training.

High school plus some training (preparation level 2 of 5)

Good for people who like keeping things organized and leading and selling.

Did you know?

In the United States, workers in this job spend an average of 89% of their workday sitting, although many can choose to sit or stand for key tasks.

What about Japan?

Nearly the same job
US
Secretary (typical)
$47,540
Secretary (average)
$39,441

The US figure is the median and the Japan figure is the average, so it's not a perfect comparison. Prices differ too.

Similar jobs

Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)

Earn more in the same field

Office and Administrative Support jobs that pay a bit more

Sources and data

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY