How To Become An Assistant Secretary: What It Is and Career Path

What is an assistant secretary and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

The administration department is essential for any organization. It is the backbone of a system and an asset to it. With an effective administration, an organization runs smoothly and professionally. The department needs support from individuals, like an assistant secretary, for performing its operations flawlessly.

Assistant secretaries assumed the tasks that were previously done by management team members. They are responsible for offering support to administrative departments, administrators, or any other assigned individual. Handling correspondence, implementing office procedures, maintaining supplies, greeting clients, and making travel or meeting arrangements are duties included in their day-to-day responsibilities.

Highlighting a bachelor's degree in business or psychology on a resume is ideal for getting hired as an assistant secretary. It is a high-paying job, with an average hourly pay of $57.66. What more can you ask for!

What general advice would you give to an assistant secretary?

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

Professor, West Virginia State University

I would say it's important to be very attentive to the way you communicate with your employers, managers, and co-workers. Even sending an e-mail can be an opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism and communication skills. Some people think that no one knows how to write anymore, or how to communicate in a professional way. I don't think that's true. But we don't always think about how our writing can be a tool to communicate our competence and seriousness. If you know how to write and communicate professionally-which college grads do-then make sure to demonstrate that in the workplace.

ScoreAssistant SecretaryUS Average

Salary

7.8

Avg. Salary $107,366

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 3.81%

Black or African American 9.18%

Hispanic or Latino 16.07%

Unknown 3.87%

White 66.34%

Gender

female 78.35%

male 21.65%

Age - 52

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 52

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.4

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an assistant secretary

Explore assistant secretary education requirements

Most common assistant secretary degrees

Bachelor's

47.5 %

High School Diploma

18.2 %

Associate

16.6 %

Start to develop specific assistant secretary skills

Skills	Percentages
Telephone Calls	13.10%
Payroll	9.28%
Scheduling Appointments	8.97%
Financial Statements	8.62%
Office Equipment	7.49%

Complete relevant assistant secretary training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistant secretaries learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an assistant secretary based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant secretary resumes.

Gain additional assistant secretary certifications

Assistant secretary certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific assistant secretary certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for assistant secretaries include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research assistant secretary duties and responsibilities

Manage and oversee all STO relate actions task to OSD impacting future and current operations in STO.
Assist main accountant with extra jobs and are trained in QuickBooks.
Proofread, edit & type legal briefs, business letters, case notes.
Book keeping, answer phone calls, run errands and handle billing using Quickbooks.

Prepare your assistant secretary resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant secretary resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an assistant secretary resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable assistant secretary resume templates

Build a professional assistant secretary resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your assistant secretary resume.