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What is a Secretary or Administrative Assistant?

Job 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?

Operate office equipment, such as fax machines, copiers, or phone systems and arrange for repairs when equipment malfunctions.
Learn to operate new office technologies as they are developed and implemented.
Operate electronic mail systems and coordinate the flow of information, internally or with other organizations.
Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
Perform payroll functions, such as maintaining timekeeping information and processing and submitting payroll.
Open, read, route, and distribute incoming mail or other materials and answer routine letters.

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Things a Secretary or Administrative Assistant Should Know How to Do

These are the skills Secretaries and Administrative Assistants say are the most useful in their careers:

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.

Other Secretary or Administrative Assistant Job Titles

Secretary-Book Keeper
Secretary, Board of Commissioners
Alumnae Secretary
Administrative Assistant (Admin Assistant)
Community Youth Secretary

Secretary or Administrative Assistant Employment Estimates

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 2,536,200 jobs in the United States for Secretary or Administrative Assistant. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Secretary or Administrative Assistant. There will be an estimated 244,300 positions for Secretary or Administrative Assistant per 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 average yearly salary of a Secretary or Administrative Assistant ranges between $23,060 and $56,010.

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants who work in District of Columbia, Massachusetts, or Connecticut, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in different U.S. states.

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

How do I Become a Secretary or Administrative Assistant?

What kind of Secretary or Administrative Assistant requirements are there?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Are Employed

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants work in the following industries:

You May Also Be Interested In…

Career changers with experience as a Secretary or Administrative Assistant sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

References:

Image Credit: Jace Armstrong via public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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