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

> Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/secretaries-and-administrative-assistants-except-legal-medical-and-executive
- SOC code: 43-6014.00
- Career family: Office and administrative support
- Median annual pay: $47,540 (10th percentile $33,280, 90th percentile $66,350)
- Projected growth: Decline, -6.0%
- Openings a year: 163,900
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code CES)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 16 |
| Investigative (I) | 6 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 44 |
| Enterprising (E) | 53 |
| Conventional (C) | 99 |

## What you'd do

- Working with Computers (importance 85/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 79/100)
- Getting Information (importance 79/100)
- Performing Administrative Activities (importance 77/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 69/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 69/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 65/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 62/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 62/100)
- Processing Information (importance 61/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Service Orientation, Time Management, Coordination, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making

## Knowledge

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

## Also called

Administrative Assistant (Admin Assistant), Administrative Associate, Administrative Clerk, Administrative Coordinator, Administrative Liaison, Administrative Resources Associate, Administrative Secretary (Admin Secretary), Administrative Specialist (Admin Specialist), Administrative Support Assistant (ASA), Administrative Support Specialist

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

- [Business Operations Support and Assistant Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5204) (CIP 5204, 758 colleges)

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

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Bellevue University-Nebraska](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bellevue-university-nebraska-206) | Business Operations Support and Assistant Services | $67,452 | $83,581 | $19,499 |
| [Valdosta State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/valdosta-state-university-3105) | Business Operations Support and Assistant Services | $42,670 | $60,715 | $25,991 |

## Related careers

- [Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/executive-secretaries-and-executive-administrative-assistants): $76,590 median pay
- [Office Clerks, General](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/office-clerks-general): $45,010 median pay
- [Administrative Services Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/administrative-services-managers): $114,130 median pay
- [Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/legal-secretaries-and-administrative-assistants): $55,570 median pay
- [Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/medical-secretaries-and-administrative-assistants): $45,930 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-office-and-administrative-support-workers): $69,500 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.