Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants pay in the United States

Goes furthest in Washington
·Office and Administrative Support·
962k jobs
Biggest filer Sanaira Global LLC3 certified filings on public record
$22.08/hr median
961,610 employed
+5% to 2035
55% AI exposure
High school diploma or equivalent
54 states reported
and more...

What this work is

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.

Where the money actually goes furthest

Washington pays the most both before and after cost of living — $58,100, worth $54,293 once local prices are counted.

Pay by state

54 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
Washington$27.93/hr$58,100$54,293$58,10010,960
South Dakota$22.03/hr$45,810$51,710$45,81080
Wisconsin$23.26/hr$48,380$51,413$46,9137,760
Nebraska$22.17/hr$46,100$51,165$44,6104,110
North Dakota$21.82/hr$45,390$51,022$45,3901,120
Minnesota$24.06/hr$50,030$50,730$48,09116,860
California$26.20/hr$54,490$49,214$52,975115,050
Vermont$23.17/hr$48,200$49,203$46,8192,390
Oregon$24.10/hr$50,130$48,500$46,28416,840
Missouri$21.14/hr$43,980$48,425$42,76912,260
Maine$22.59/hr$46,990$48,418$45,0584,610
New Mexico$21.27/hr$44,230$47,966$43,1674,590
Wyoming$21.36/hr$44,430$47,933$44,4301,110
Kansas$20.68/hr$43,020$47,762$40,9086,470
Ohio$21.29/hr$44,280$47,730$43,77829,110
Massachusetts$24.18/hr$50,290$47,551$47,77522,210
Indiana$21.18/hr$44,060$47,208$42,76821,180
Idaho$21.60/hr$44,920$47,041$43,3135,120
Nevada$22.59/hr$46,990$46,999$46,9907,030
North Carolina$21.24/hr$44,190$46,846$42,85356,840
Connecticut$23.32/hr$48,500$46,810$46,5676,480
Alaska$23.02/hr$47,870$46,766$47,8702,520
Iowa$19.70/hr$40,980$46,695$39,97710,560
Illinois$22.44/hr$46,670$46,688$44,49727,560
New Hampshire$23.27/hr$48,410$46,472$48,4103,680
Montana$21.03/hr$43,740$46,212$42,2734,410
Pennsylvania$21.60/hr$44,930$46,048$43,55027,600
Rhode Island$22.53/hr$46,860$45,815$45,4982,350
Virginia$22.20/hr$46,180$45,677$44,27027,600
Maryland$23.00/hr$47,850$45,588$45,75717,290
Colorado$22.56/hr$46,920$45,531$45,54611,560
Arizona$22.03/hr$45,820$45,510$45,03918,090
Hawaii$24.00/hr$49,920$45,402$47,5592,160
Utah$21.31/hr$44,330$44,841$42,3125,260
Georgia$20.75/hr$43,160$44,822$41,54239,380
District of Columbia$23.64/hr$49,180$44,749$47,3051,930
New Jersey$23.39/hr$48,660$44,720$47,46420,980
Delaware$21.39/hr$44,500$44,584$42,5974,510
Texas$20.63/hr$42,910$44,209$42,91078,740
New York$22.94/hr$47,710$44,208$45,69057,720
Oklahoma$18.43/hr$38,330$43,636$36,9998,430
Tennessee$19.20/hr$39,940$43,474$39,94041,810
Kentucky$18.63/hr$38,750$42,979$37,32626,430
West Virginia$18.48/hr$38,430$42,938$37,3161,550
South Carolina$19.31/hr$40,170$42,848$39,26215,630
Michigan$19.76/hr$41,100$42,714$39,59127,960
Arkansas$17.79/hr$37,000$42,558$35,7332,190
Louisiana$17.75/hr$36,930$41,866$36,1972,970
Mississippi$17.45/hr$36,290$41,736$34,794Not published
Alabama$17.76/hr$36,930$41,578$35,27316,580
Florida$20.06/hr$41,730$40,353$41,73096,000
Virgin Islands$17.65/hr$36,710Not publishedNot published230
Guam$15.23/hr$31,680Not publishedNot published310
Puerto Rico$14.24/hr$29,620Not publishedNot published8,480

National median for comparison: $45,930. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$45,930/year

$22.08/hr an hour, national median

Across the states

$22,670$63,330

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

55%Moderate exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

Both methods agree closely.

Method 1 — ability mix54%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content57%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by +5% between 2025 and 2035, with about 89,200 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • Answer telephones and direct calls to appropriate staff.
  • Transcribe recorded messages or practitioners' diagnoses or recommendations into patients' medical records.
  • Compile and record medical charts, reports, or correspondence, using typewriter or personal computer.
  • Schedule and confirm patient diagnostic appointments, surgeries, or medical consultations.
  • Complete insurance or other claim forms.
  • Greet visitors, ascertain purpose of visit, and direct them to appropriate staff.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

What named employers said they would pay

From certified US Department of Labor visa filings. These are wages employers committed to for sponsored roles — not company-wide averages, and not necessarily what everyone in the job earns. Cells with fewer than three filings are withheld so no individual’s pay is identifiable.

EmployerRole as filedState25thMedian75thFilings
Sanaira Global LLCMedical Secretaries and Administrative AssistantsPA$44,000$44,000$44,0003

Where medical secretaries and administrative assistants move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by Mikhail Nilov.