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Department secretary salary
Average department secretary salary
$35,473
Understanding the Department Secretary Salary
The average salary for a Department Secretary in the United States is around $35,473 per year or about $17 per hour. This figure can fluctuate based on various factors including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, department secretaries in healthcare or legal sectors may earn higher wages compared to those in education or non-profit organizations.
Salary Variation by State
Where you work plays a significant role in salary expectations. States like California and New York often offer higher salaries for department secretaries, reflecting the cost of living and demand for skilled administrative professionals. For example, in California, the average salary can exceed $45,000, while in states like Arkansas, it may be closer to $30,000.
Experience Matters
Experience is another critical factor influencing salary. Entry-level department secretaries can expect to earn less, while those with several years of experience can see substantial increases in their compensation. The potential for growth in this career is promising, especially for candidates who continuously improve their skills and adapt to evolving administrative technologies.
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Where can a Department Secretary earn more?
Department secretary salaries by experience level
Department secretary salary estimates from across the web
Average department secretary salary by state
The average department secretary salary in California, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average department secretary salary states are Delaware, North Dakota, and Alaska.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for department secretaries
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $42,932 | $20.64 |
| 2 | Florida | $40,110 | $19.28 |
| 3 | Arizona | $40,370 | $19.41 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $41,149 | $19.78 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $47,462 | $22.82 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $42,587 | $20.47 |
| 7 | California | $44,561 | $21.42 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $38,152 | $18.34 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $41,484 | $19.94 |
| 10 | Oregon | $40,515 | $19.48 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $40,994 | $19.71 |
| 12 | Indiana | $36,224 | $17.42 |
| 13 | Vermont | $38,490 | $18.50 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $37,983 | $18.26 |
| 15 | New York | $38,441 | $18.48 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $37,798 | $18.17 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $36,805 | $17.69 |
| 18 | Colorado | $37,331 | $17.95 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $37,220 | $17.89 |
| 20 | Virginia | $39,263 | $18.88 |
| 21 | Texas | $36,970 | $17.77 |
| 22 | Ohio | $35,512 | $17.07 |
| 23 | Illinois | $36,314 | $17.46 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $36,168 | $17.39 |
| 25 | Maine | $33,820 | $16.26 |
| 26 | Washington | $35,193 | $16.92 |
| 27 | Nevada | $35,982 | $17.30 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $35,827 | $17.22 |
| 29 | Missouri | $36,063 | $17.34 |
| 30 | Georgia | $34,811 | $16.74 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $35,640 | $17.13 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $31,165 | $14.98 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $33,019 | $15.87 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $32,513 | $15.63 |
| 35 | Iowa | $33,047 | $15.89 |
| 36 | Michigan | $32,155 | $15.46 |
| 37 | Montana | $30,764 | $14.79 |
| 38 | Alaska | $29,758 | $14.31 |
| 39 | Maryland | $33,030 | $15.88 |
| 40 | Alabama | $33,137 | $15.93 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $32,080 | $15.42 |
| 42 | Utah | $31,966 | $15.37 |
| 43 | Idaho | $30,283 | $14.56 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $32,235 | $15.50 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $31,527 | $15.16 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $29,098 | $13.99 |
| 47 | Delaware | $29,957 | $14.40 |
| 48 | Kansas | $30,322 | $14.58 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $29,859 | $14.36 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $29,627 | $14.24 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $26,596 | $12.79 |
Highest paying cities for department secretaries
The highest-paying cities for department secretaries are Oakland, CA, Milford, MA, and Edison, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oakland, CA | $44,796 | $21.54 |
| 2 | Milford, MA | $43,195 | $20.77 |
| 3 | Edison, NJ | $41,561 | $19.98 |
| 4 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $40,213 | $19.33 |
| 5 | Flagstaff, AZ | $39,941 | $19.20 |
| 6 | Richmond, VA | $39,144 | $18.82 |
| 7 | Nashua, NH | $38,479 | $18.50 |
| 8 | Bristol, TN | $38,194 | $18.36 |
| 9 | Newburgh, NY | $38,188 | $18.36 |
| 10 | Brighton, CO | $37,295 | $17.93 |
| 11 | Houston, TX | $36,930 | $17.75 |
| 12 | Fort Wayne, IN | $36,390 | $17.50 |
| 13 | Saint Louis, MO | $36,349 | $17.48 |
| 14 | Naperville, IL | $36,297 | $17.45 |
| 15 | Akron, OH | $35,861 | $17.24 |
| 16 | Bettendorf, IA | $33,368 | $16.04 |
| 17 | Provo, UT | $31,993 | $15.38 |
| 18 | Great Falls, MT | $30,579 | $14.70 |
| 19 | Olathe, KS | $30,348 | $14.59 |
| 20 | Edmond, OK | $29,622 | $14.24 |
Department secretary salary details
A department secretary's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $47,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a department secretary's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
| 75th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| Average | $35,473 | $2,956 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest paying department secretary jobs
The highest paying types of department secretaries are assistant secretary, administrative staff, and department specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Clerk | $32,327 | $2,694 | $15.54 | 137,639 |
| Administrative Support | $37,692 | $3,141 | $18.12 | 114,480 |
| Administrative Receptionist | $31,502 | $2,625 | $15.15 | 91,892 |
| Administrative Staff | $77,101 | $6,425 | $37.07 | 119,030 |
| School Secretary | $35,126 | $2,927 | $16.89 | 75,656 |
| Administrator Secretary | $34,336 | $2,861 | $16.51 | 99,520 |
Top companies hiring department secretaries now:
Which companies pay department secretaries the most?
Department secretary salaries at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Mount Auburn Hospital are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average department secretary salary at companies like Broward County Public Schools and University of Mary Hardin-Baylor are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $54,916 | $26.40 |
| 2 | Mount Auburn Hospital | $49,644 | $23.87 |
| 3 | Broward County Public Schools | $44,630 | $21.46 |
| 4 | University of Mary Hardin-Baylor | $43,101 | $20.72 |
| 5 | County of Riverside | $39,154 | $18.82 |
| 6 | Health Alliance | $38,289 | $18.41 |
| 7 | University of Pennsylvania | $37,847 | $18.20 |
| 8 | New Brunswick Public Schools | $37,805 | $18.18 |
| 9 | Community College System of New Hampshire | $37,583 | $18.07 |
| 10 | California Baptist University | $36,592 | $17.59 |
| 11 | Sutter Health | $35,795 | $17.21 |
| 12 | Brigham Young University | $35,595 | $17.11 |
| 13 | Milford Regional Medical Center | $35,266 | $16.95 |
| 14 | Holy Name Medical Center | $35,109 | $16.88 |
| 15 | Weld RE-4 School District | $34,828 | $16.74 |
| 16 | Ball State University | $34,782 | $16.72 |
| 17 | Chapters Health System | $34,487 | $16.58 |
| 18 | St. Louis Community College | $34,466 | $16.57 |
| 19 | Garnet Health | $34,219 | $16.45 |
| 20 | Prime Healthcare | $34,118 | $16.40 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Department Secretary salary by industry
The average department secretary salary varies across industries:
- The average department secretary salary in the government industry is $36,935, the highest of any industry.
- The average department secretary salary in the finance industry is $35,322.
- Department secretaries in the health care industry earn an average salary of $33,213, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for department secretaries
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $36,935 | $17.76 |
| 2 | Education | $35,322 | $16.98 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $34,719 | $16.69 |
| 4 | Health Care | $33,213 | $15.97 |
High paying department secretary jobs
Department secretary salary trends
The average department secretary salary has risen by $6,373 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average department secretary earned $29,100 annually, but today, they earn $35,473 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for department secretaries over the last decade.
Compare department secretary salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average department secretary salary over time
Compare department secretary salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Department secretary salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $35,500 | $17.05 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $34,400 | $16.55 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $33,400 | $16.08 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $32,500 | $15.62 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $31,800 | $15.29 | +2.6% |
Recently added department secretary salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corewell Health | Department Secretary | Dearborn, MI | 06/29/2025 | $34,916 |
| Rwjbarnabas Health | Secretary Department, Critical Care Physicians | Newark, NJ | 06/27/2025 | $39,716 |
| Oakland Schools | Business and Security Department Secretary Principal | Bowne, MI | 06/27/2025 | $36,940 |
| Laramie County School District | Secretary-CTE Department [Ce37] | Cheyenne, WY | 06/27/2025 | $33,997 |
| Mount Sinai Medical Center | Secretary III-Phillips Urology Department-Mount Sinai Union Square 9AM To 5PM, Possible W | New York, NY | 06/25/2025 | $68,704 |
| University of Maryland Medical System | Department Secretary Nursing | Glen Burnie, MD | 06/25/2025 | $39,069 |
| Gadsden School Dist 32 | Receptionist Department Secretary | Pine, AZ | 06/24/2025 | $35,187 |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania | Art & Design Department Secretary- | Millersville, PA | 06/22/2025 | $27,075 |
| Boerne Independent School District (Tx | Secretary, Transportation Department SY | Boerne, TX | 06/21/2025 | $42,637 |
| Riverside Medical Center | Department Secretary or | Kankakee, IL | 06/20/2025 | $36,126 |
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