Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a department secretary
Quoted expert
Dr. Mike Peterson Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you thinking of becoming a department secretary and really want to work at Kaiser Permanente? Turns out, your chances to become a department secretary are better in some states than others.We wanted to look at the best states for department secretaries -- where there are plenty of department secretary jobs to go around and department secretaries get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
In order to get you the best states for department secretaries, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.Massachusetts is the best state, and Lompoc is the city with the highest pay for department secretaries.
10 best states for department secretaries in 2025
1. Massachusetts
Total department secretary jobs: 1,183 Average annual salary: $42,932 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location Quotient: 1.112. Florida
Total department secretary jobs: 2,383 Average annual salary: $40,110 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Location Quotient: 1.313. Arizona
Total department secretary jobs: 709 Average annual salary: $40,370 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Location Quotient: 1.044. Connecticut
Total department secretary jobs: 497 Average annual salary: $41,149 Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location Quotient: 1.295. District of Columbia
Total department secretary jobs: 197 Average annual salary: $47,462 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Location Quotient: 1.016. Rhode Island
Total department secretary jobs: 127 Average annual salary: $42,587 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 0.97. California
Total department secretary jobs: 3,336 Average annual salary: $44,561 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 0.988. New Hampshire
Total department secretary jobs: 232 Average annual salary: $38,152 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 1.149. New Jersey
Total department secretary jobs: 957 Average annual salary: $41,484 Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location Quotient: 1.0410. Oregon
Total department secretary jobs: 475 Average annual salary: $40,515 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
Department secretary jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a department secretary
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a department secretary
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $42,932 | $29,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,183 |
| 2 | Florida | $40,110 | $26,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,383 |
| 3 | Arizona | $40,370 | $28,000 | 7,016,270 | 709 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $41,149 | $27,000 | 3,588,184 | 497 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $47,462 | $31,000 | 693,972 | 197 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $42,587 | $28,000 | 1,059,639 | 127 |
| 7 | California | $44,561 | $31,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,336 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $38,152 | $26,000 | 1,342,795 | 232 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $41,484 | $27,000 | 9,005,644 | 957 |
| 10 | Oregon | $40,515 | $30,000 | 4,142,776 | 475 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $40,994 | $28,000 | 1,427,538 | 128 |
| 12 | Indiana | $36,224 | $25,000 | 6,666,818 | 768 |
| 13 | Vermont | $38,490 | $27,000 | 623,657 | 82 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $37,983 | $25,000 | 5,024,369 | 463 |
| 15 | New York | $38,441 | $25,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,842 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $37,798 | $27,000 | 1,920,076 | 209 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $36,805 | $25,000 | 4,684,333 | 336 |
| 18 | Colorado | $37,331 | $27,000 | 5,607,154 | 721 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $37,220 | $25,000 | 6,715,984 | 544 |
| 20 | Virginia | $39,263 | $25,000 | 8,470,020 | 992 |
| 21 | Texas | $36,970 | $25,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,052 |
| 22 | Ohio | $35,512 | $24,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,150 |
| 23 | Illinois | $36,314 | $26,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,348 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $36,168 | $24,000 | 2,984,100 | 202 |
| 25 | Maine | $33,820 | $24,000 | 1,335,907 | 208 |
| 26 | Washington | $35,193 | $26,000 | 7,405,743 | 941 |
| 27 | Nevada | $35,982 | $25,000 | 2,998,039 | 207 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $35,827 | $26,000 | 5,576,606 | 705 |
| 29 | Missouri | $36,063 | $25,000 | 6,113,532 | 555 |
| 30 | Georgia | $34,811 | $23,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,235 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $35,640 | $25,000 | 2,088,070 | 162 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $31,165 | $23,000 | 579,315 | 98 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $33,019 | $21,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,424 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $32,513 | $23,000 | 5,795,483 | 737 |
| 35 | Iowa | $33,047 | $24,000 | 3,145,711 | 403 |
| 36 | Michigan | $32,155 | $22,000 | 9,962,311 | 961 |
| 37 | Montana | $30,764 | $23,000 | 1,050,493 | 200 |
| 38 | Alaska | $29,758 | $24,000 | 739,795 | 167 |
| 39 | Maryland | $33,030 | $21,000 | 6,052,177 | 776 |
| 40 | Alabama | $33,137 | $22,000 | 4,874,747 | 420 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $32,080 | $21,000 | 1,815,857 | 152 |
| 42 | Utah | $31,966 | $23,000 | 3,101,833 | 346 |
| 43 | Idaho | $30,283 | $22,000 | 1,716,943 | 237 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $32,235 | $23,000 | 869,666 | 87 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $31,527 | $21,000 | 10,273,419 | 881 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $29,098 | $20,000 | 4,454,189 | 380 |
| 47 | Delaware | $29,957 | $19,000 | 961,939 | 125 |
| 48 | Kansas | $30,322 | $21,000 | 2,913,123 | 269 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $29,859 | $22,000 | 755,393 | 85 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $29,627 | $21,000 | 3,930,864 | 251 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $26,596 | $18,000 | 3,004,279 | 240 |
Highest paying states for department secretaries
| Rank | State | Avg. Department Secretary Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $42,932 |
| 2 | Florida | $40,110 |
| 3 | Arizona | $40,370 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $41,149 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $47,462 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $42,587 |
| 7 | California | $44,561 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $38,152 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $41,484 |
| 10 | Oregon | $40,515 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $40,994 |
| 12 | Indiana | $36,224 |
| 13 | Vermont | $38,490 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $37,983 |
| 15 | New York | $38,441 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $37,798 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $36,805 |
| 18 | Colorado | $37,331 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $37,220 |
| 20 | Virginia | $39,263 |
| 21 | Texas | $36,970 |
| 22 | Ohio | $35,512 |
| 23 | Illinois | $36,314 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $36,168 |
| 25 | Maine | $33,820 |
| 26 | Washington | $35,193 |
| 27 | Nevada | $35,982 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $35,827 |
| 29 | Missouri | $36,063 |
| 30 | Georgia | $34,811 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $35,640 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $31,165 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $33,019 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $32,513 |
| 35 | Iowa | $33,047 |
| 36 | Michigan | $32,155 |
| 37 | Montana | $30,764 |
| 38 | Alaska | $29,758 |
| 39 | Maryland | $33,030 |
| 40 | Alabama | $33,137 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $32,080 |
| 42 | Utah | $31,966 |
| 43 | Idaho | $30,283 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $32,235 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $31,527 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $29,098 |
| 47 | Delaware | $29,957 |
| 48 | Kansas | $30,322 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $29,859 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $29,627 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $26,596 |
Expert opinions on the best states for department secretaries
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for department secretarys to find work opportunities?
Dr. Mike Peterson Ph.D.
Department Chair and Associate Professor of English, Dixie State University
The great thing about a degree in English is that graduates can find work anywhere: teaching, freelance writing, technical writing, content production, editing, reporting-you name it. There are ample jobs in small towns and large cities in all of these areas. English degrees are also highly valued in a variety of jobs-such as sales, public relations, marketing, and paralegal work-because employers know these applicants, from day one, will have strong skills in writing, communication, critical thinking, and creative thinking.
Department secretary best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.
Search for department secretary jobs
Updated January 8, 2025