Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants salary in the U.S.
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in the U.S. earn a median of $45,930 a year ($22.08 an hour), based on BLS data for 961,610 workers.
Pay ranges from $35,930 for the lowest-paid 10% to $60,530 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $46,800, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $35,930 | $17.27 |
| 25th percentile | $38,570 | $18.54 |
| Median | $45,930 | $22.08 |
| 75th percentile | $50,580 | $24.32 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $60,530 | $29.10 |
| Average (mean) | $46,800 | $22.50 |
Half of medical secretaries and administrative assistants earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $3,827.50 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $1,913.75 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $1,766.54 |
| Weekly | $883.27 |
| Hourly | $22.08 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
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Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $58,100 | 10,960 |
| California | $54,490 | 115,050 |
| Massachusetts | $50,290 | 22,210 |
| Oregon | $50,130 | 16,840 |
| Minnesota | $50,030 | 16,860 |
| Hawaii | $49,920 | 2,160 |
| District of Columbia | $49,180 | 1,930 |
| New Jersey | $48,660 | 20,980 |
| Connecticut | $48,500 | 6,480 |
| New Hampshire | $48,410 | 3,680 |
| Wisconsin | $48,380 | 7,760 |
| Vermont | $48,200 | 2,390 |
| Alaska | $47,870 | 2,520 |
| Maryland | $47,850 | 17,290 |
| New York | $47,710 | 57,720 |
| Maine | $46,990 | 4,610 |
| Nevada | $46,990 | 7,030 |
| Colorado | $46,920 | 11,560 |
| Rhode Island | $46,860 | 2,350 |
| Illinois | $46,670 | 27,560 |
| Virginia | $46,180 | 27,600 |
| Nebraska | $46,100 | 4,110 |
| Arizona | $45,820 | 18,090 |
| South Dakota | $45,810 | 80 |
| North Dakota | $45,390 | 1,120 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,930 | 27,600 |
| Idaho | $44,920 | 5,120 |
| Delaware | $44,500 | 4,510 |
| Wyoming | $44,430 | 1,110 |
| Utah | $44,330 | 5,260 |
| Ohio | $44,280 | 29,110 |
| New Mexico | $44,230 | 4,590 |
| North Carolina | $44,190 | 56,840 |
| Indiana | $44,060 | 21,180 |
| Missouri | $43,980 | 12,260 |
| Montana | $43,740 | 4,410 |
| Georgia | $43,160 | 39,380 |
| Kansas | $43,020 | 6,470 |
| Texas | $42,910 | 78,740 |
| Florida | $41,730 | 96,000 |
| Michigan | $41,100 | 27,960 |
| Iowa | $40,980 | 10,560 |
| South Carolina | $40,170 | 15,630 |
| Tennessee | $39,940 | 41,810 |
| Kentucky | $38,750 | 26,430 |
| West Virginia | $38,430 | 1,550 |
| Oklahoma | $38,330 | 8,430 |
| Arkansas | $37,000 | 2,190 |
| Alabama | $36,930 | 16,580 |
| Louisiana | $36,930 | 2,970 |
| Virgin Islands | $36,710 | 230 |
| Mississippi | $36,290 | n/a |
| Guam | $31,680 | 310 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,620 | 8,480 |
Best-paying metro areas for medical secretaries and administrative assistants
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $69,350 | 6,340 |
| Napa, CA | $61,830 | 510 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $61,330 | 13,660 |
| Vallejo, CA | $61,220 | 990 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $60,350 | 6,420 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $60,240 | 1,190 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $58,830 | 50 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $57,730 | 7,710 |
| Bellingham, WA | $55,670 | 230 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $54,740 | 840 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $54,560 | 8,290 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $52,900 | 320 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $52,570 | 290 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $51,940 | 560 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $51,870 | 8,920 |
Metro areas with the most medical secretaries and administrative assistants
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 52,640 | $49,230 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 40,380 | $51,410 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 27,020 | $45,060 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 22,590 | $46,370 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 21,700 | $45,630 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 20,220 | $44,210 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 20,020 | $47,680 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 18,960 | $48,280 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 16,350 | $43,770 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 16,330 | $51,600 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 15,550 | $47,120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 13,660 | $61,330 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 13,570 | $46,600 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 13,380 | $45,650 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 13,050 | $39,520 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $47,540 | $22.86 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $76,590 | $36.82 |
| Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | $55,570 | $26.72 |
| Customer Service Representative | $44,770 | $21.53 |
| Office Clerks, General | $45,010 | $21.64 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $69,500 | $33.41 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $50,670 | $24.36 |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | $38,010 | $18.27 |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | $45,260 | $21.76 |
| Billing and Posting Clerks | $48,500 | $23.32 |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | $59,650 | $28.68 |
| Teller | $43,030 | $20.69 |
| Postal Service Mail Carrier | $60,550 | $29.11 |
| Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks | $35,070 | $16.86 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 43-6013. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a medical secretaries and administrative assistants make in the U.S.?
The median salary for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in the U.S. is $45,930 a year, or $22.08 an hour. Pay ranges from $35,930 for the lowest-paid 10% to $60,530 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid medical secretaries and administrative assistants make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of medical secretaries and administrative assistants in the U.S. earn at least $60,530 a year. The top 25% earn $50,580 or more.
What is the starting pay for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $35,930 a year, and a quarter of medical secretaries and administrative assistants earn $38,570 or less.
How many medical secretaries and administrative assistants work in the U.S.?
About 961,610 medical secretaries and administrative assistants are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.