Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.

Also Known As:

Administrative Assistant (Admin Assistant) Administrative Clerk Administrative Secretary (Admin Secretary) Administrative Specialist (Admin Specialist) Administrative Support Assistant (ASA) Administrative Technician Department Secretary Office Assistant Secretary Staff Assistant

Wages

Hourly

Annual wages for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in United States

Job Outlook Bright

New job opportunities are very likely in the future

United States 2033 Projected Employment

1,976,200

0% Change From 2023

Explore Secretaries, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive video

Tasks you might complete in a day.

Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
Create, maintain, and enter information into databases.
Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
Operate office equipment, such as fax machines, copiers, or phone systems and arrange for repairs when equipment malfunctions.
Set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, recording information, updating paperwork, or maintaining documents, such as attendance records, correspondence, or other material.
Complete forms in accordance with company procedures.
Coordinate conferences, meetings, or special events, such as luncheons or graduation ceremonies.
Make copies of correspondence or other printed material.
Mail newsletters, promotional material, or other information.
Compose, type, and distribute meeting notes, routine correspondence, or reports, such as presentations or expense, statistical, or monthly reports.
Prepare and mail checks.
Operate electronic mail systems and coordinate the flow of information, internally or with other organizations.
Arrange conference, meeting, or travel reservations for office personnel.
Order and dispense supplies.
Maintain scheduling and event calendars.
Perform payroll functions, such as maintaining timekeeping information and processing and submitting payroll.
Compose, type, and distribute meeting notes, routine correspondence, or reports, such as presentations or expense, statistical, or monthly reports.
Collect and deposit money into accounts, disburse funds from cash accounts to pay bills or invoices, keep records of collections and disbursements, and ensure accounts are balanced.
Operate office equipment, such as fax machines, copiers, or phone systems and arrange for repairs when equipment malfunctions.
Collect and deposit money into accounts, disburse funds from cash accounts to pay bills or invoices, keep records of collections and disbursements, and ensure accounts are balanced.
Supervise other clerical staff and provide training and orientation to new staff.
Order and dispense supplies.
Provide services to customers, such as order placement or account information.
Schedule and confirm appointments for clients, customers, or supervisors.
Prepare conference or event materials, such as flyers or invitations.
Train and assist staff with computer usage.
Establish work procedures or schedules and keep track of the daily work of clerical staff.
Compose, type, and distribute meeting notes, routine correspondence, or reports, such as presentations or expense, statistical, or monthly reports.
Learn to operate new office technologies as they are developed and implemented.
Establish work procedures or schedules and keep track of the daily work of clerical staff.
Manage projects or contribute to committee or team work.
Open, read, route, and distribute incoming mail or other materials and answer routine letters.
Open, read, route, and distribute incoming mail or other materials and answer routine letters.
Arrange conference, meeting, or travel reservations for office personnel.
Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
Answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or transfer calls to appropriate individuals.
Use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing.
Set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, recording information, updating paperwork, or maintaining documents, such as attendance records, correspondence, or other material.
Conduct searches to find needed information, using such sources as the Internet.
Prepare and mail checks.
Develop or maintain internal or external company Web sites.
Review work done by others to check for correct spelling and grammar, ensure that company format policies are followed, and recommend revisions.
Locate and attach appropriate files to incoming correspondence requiring replies.

Subject areas you may need to master.

Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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.
Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
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.

Strengths you may need in this role.

Time Management - Managing your time and the time of other people.
Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Complex Problem Solving - Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Systems Evaluation - Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Critical Thinking - Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Technology Design - Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Active Listening - Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Systems Analysis - Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Science - Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Installation - Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Operation and Control - Using equipment or systems.
Coordination - Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Management of Personnel Resources - Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Speaking - Talking to others.
Monitoring - Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Equipment Selection - Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Writing - Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Social Perceptiveness - Understanding people's reactions.
Instructing - Teaching people how to do something.
Programming - Writing computer programs.
Mathematics - Using math to solve problems.
Reading Comprehension - Reading work-related information.
Management of Financial Resources - Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Learning Strategies - Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Persuasion - Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Management of Material Resources - Managing equipment and materials.
Judgment and Decision Making - Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Negotiation - Bringing people together to solve differences.
Operations Analysis - Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Equipment Maintenance - Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Active Learning - Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Troubleshooting - Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Service Orientation - Looking for ways to help people.
Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Quality Control Analysis - Testing how well a product or service works.
Night Vision - Seeing at night or under low light.
Response Orientation - Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Sound Localization - Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Trunk Strength - Using your lower back and stomach.
Stamina - Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Visual Color Discrimination - Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Rate Control - Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Speech Recognition - Recognizing spoken words.
Explosive Strength - Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Fluency of Ideas - Coming up with lots of ideas.
Peripheral Vision - Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Auditory Attention - Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Speech Clarity - Speaking clearly.
Speed of Limb Movement - Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Manual Dexterity - Holding or moving items with your hands.
Problem Sensitivity - Noticing when problems happen.
Originality - Creating new and original ideas.
Written Comprehension - Reading and understanding what is written.
Information Ordering - Ordering or arranging things.
Speed of Closure - Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Far Vision - Seeing details that are far away.
Memorization - Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Static Strength - Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Wrist-Finger Speed - Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Dynamic Strength - Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Oral Comprehension - Listening and understanding what people say.
Inductive Reasoning - Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Category Flexibility - Grouping things in different ways.
Depth Perception - Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Near Vision - Seeing details up close.
Selective Attention - Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Arm-Hand Steadiness - Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Extent Flexibility - Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Time Sharing - Doing two or more things at the same time.
Reaction Time - Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Glare Sensitivity - Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Hearing Sensitivity - Telling the difference between sounds.
Deductive Reasoning - Using rules to solve problems.
Gross Body Equilibrium - Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Mathematical Reasoning - Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Visualization - Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Gross Body Coordination - Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Spatial Orientation - Knowing where things are around you.
Number Facility - Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Multilimb Coordination - Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Written Expression - Communicating by writing.
Oral Expression - Communicating by speaking.
Dynamic Flexibility - Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Perceptual Speed - Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Flexibility of Closure - Seeing hidden patterns.
Finger Dexterity - Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Control Precision - Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.