Medical Administration/ Assistant
Featured schools near , edit
Types of Degrees Medical Administration/ Assistant Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Undergraduate Certificate | 2,976 |
Basic Certificate | 2,908 |
Associate’s Degree | 2,881 |
What Medical Administration/ Assistant Majors Need to Know
O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.
Knowledge Areas for Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Skills for Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary Majors
A major in medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- 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.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Abilities for Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary Majors
As you progress with your medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
What Can You Do With a Medical Administration/ Assistant Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Medical Assistants | 29.0% | $33,610 |
Medical Secretaries | 22.5% | $35,760 |
Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Medical Administration/ Assistant?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 58 |
Black or African American | 824 |
Hispanic or Latino | 397 |
White | 1,111 |
International Students | 4 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 487 |
Geographic Diversity
Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary appeals to people across the globe. About 0.1% of those with this major are international students.
How Much Do Medical Administration/ Assistant Majors Make?
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $34,540 to $37,090 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Medical Administration/ Assistant
Some careers associated with medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.
Find out what the typical degree level is for medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary careers below.

Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 24.4% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 42.3% |
Some College Courses | 25.0% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 9.8% |
Online Medical Administration/ Assistant Programs
In the 2018-2019 academic year, 408 schools offered some type of medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 164 | 20 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 199 | 28 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 3 | 1 |
Associate’s Degree | 214 | 40 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 164 | 20 |
Master’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
Post-Master’s | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Medical Administration/ Assistant Worth It?
The median salary for a medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary grad is $34,540 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

Explore Major by State
Alabama
Arkansas
Connecticut
Florida
Idaho
Iowa
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Mississippi
Nebraska
New Jersey
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Vermont
West Virginia
Trades Related to Medical Administration/ Assistant
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |