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Secretaries


Overview

Secretaries

Introduction

Secretaries, also called administrative assistants, perform a wide range of jobs that vary greatly from business to business. However, most secretaries draft memos, letters, and reports; manage records and information; answer telephones; handle correspondence; schedule appointments; make travel arrangements; and sort mail. The amount of time secretaries spend on these duties depends on the size and type of the office as well as on their own job training. There are approximately 3.6 million secretaries employed in the United...

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$37,690

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Employment Prospects

Good

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Minimum Education Level

High School Diploma


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Experience

On-the-job training


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Skills

Computer
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Personality Traits

Conventional
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Earnings

Salaries for secretaries vary widely by region; type of business; and the skill, experience, and level of responsibility of the secretary. Secretaries (except legal, medical, and executive) earned median annual salaries of $37,690 in May 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Salaries ranged from $24,250 to $57,570. Medical secretaries earned median annual salaries of $36,580. T...

Work Environment

Most secretaries work in pleasant offices with modern equipment. Office conditions vary widely, however. While some secretaries have their own offices and work for one or two executives, others share crowded workspace with other workers.

Most office workers work 35–40 hours a week. Very few secretaries work on the weekends on a regular basis, although some may be asked to work overtime i...

Outlook

Overall, employment for secretaries and administrative assistants is expected to decline 9 percent through 2029, according to the Department of Labor (DOL). Technology has lessened the need for secretaries in many fields. Also contributing to the decline is the fact that many managers now perform some of the tasks once handled by secretaries.

Declines will be more significant in some fie...