# Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

> Perform secretarial duties using specific knowledge of medical terminology and hospital, clinic, or laboratory procedures. Duties may include scheduling appointments, billing patients, and compiling and recording medical charts, reports, and correspondence.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/medical-secretaries-and-administrative-assistants
- SOC code: 43-6013.00
- Career family: Office and administrative support
- Median annual pay: $45,930 (10th percentile $35,930, 90th percentile $60,530)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +4.8%
- Openings a year: 89,200
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code CSE)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 22 |
| Investigative (I) | 34 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 52 |
| Enterprising (E) | 36 |
| Conventional (C) | 95 |

## What you'd do

- Working with Computers (importance 87/100)
- Processing Information (importance 84/100)
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 82/100)
- Getting Information (importance 81/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 81/100)
- Performing Administrative Activities (importance 78/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 77/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 76/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 75/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 75/100)

## Skills

Speaking, Active Listening, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Time Management, Writing, Monitoring

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Administrative, Medicine and Dentistry, Personnel and Human Resources, Computers and Electronics, Administration and Management, Economics and Accounting, Mathematics, Communications and Media

## Also called

Administrative Support Specialist, Appointment Scheduler, Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMMA), Client Service Coordinator, Clinic Office Assistant, Clinic Receptionist, Dental Front Desk Receptionist, Dental Front Office Coordinator, Dental Office Receptionist, Dental Receptionist

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Health and Medical Administrative Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5107) (CIP 5107, 1,585 colleges)
- Veterinary Administrative Services (CIP 0182, 3 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Georgetown University-DC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/georgetown-university-dc-1068) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | not reported | $143,686 | $11,000 |
| [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill-main-campus-2990) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | $44,456 | $110,204 | not reported |
| [George Washington University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/george-washington-university-1066) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | not reported | $92,810 | not reported |
| [Baptist Health System School of Health Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/college/baptist-health-system-school-of-health-professions-175) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | $60,194 | $85,145 | not reported |
| [Stonehill College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/stonehill-college-2610) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | not reported | $82,254 | not reported |
| [Loyola University Chicago](https://www.collegesref.com/college/loyola-university-chicago-1551) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | $59,113 | $82,040 | $25,000 |
| [CUNY Graduate School and University Center](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-graduate-school-and-university-center-737) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | $61,698 | $81,184 | $15,460 |
| [Oregon Institute of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/oregon-institute-of-technology-2034) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | not reported | $80,944 | $27,820 |

## Related careers

- [Receptionists and Information Clerks](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/receptionists-and-information-clerks): $38,010 median pay
- [Medical Records Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/medical-records-specialists): $51,140 median pay
- [Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/secretaries-and-administrative-assistants-except-legal-medical-and-executive): $47,540 median pay
- [Office Clerks, General](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/office-clerks-general): $45,010 median pay
- [Medical Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/medical-assistants): $45,690 median pay
- [Patient Representatives](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/patient-representatives): $50,290 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.