General secretary demographics and statistics in the US
General secretary demographics research summary. Zippia estimates general secretary demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our general secretary estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about general secretaries after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 171,357 general secretaries currently employed in the United States.
- 60.5% of all general secretaries are women, while 39.5% are men.
- The average general secretary age is 50 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of general secretaries is White (65.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.3%), Black or African American (9.3%) and Unknown (3.9%).
- In 2022, women earned 86% of what men earned.
- 6% of all general secretaries are LGBT.
- General secretaries are 41% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
General secretary demographics by:
General secretary gender statistics
60.5% of general secretaries are women and 39.5% of general secretaries are men.
- Female, 60.5%
- Male, 39.5%
General secretary gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 60.5% |
| Male | 39.5% |
General secretary gender pay gap
Women earn 86¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$59,160
Female income
$50,955
General secretary gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in general secretary positions over time. Currently, 60.5% of general secretaries are female.
General secretary gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 27.46% | 72.54% |
| 2011 | 26.60% | 73.40% |
| 2012 | 28.62% | 71.38% |
| 2013 | 28.20% | 71.80% |
| 2014 | 29.18% | 70.82% |
| 2015 | 31.32% | 68.68% |
| 2016 | 31.08% | 68.92% |
| 2017 | 33.22% | 66.78% |
| 2018 | 34.83% | 65.17% |
| 2019 | 35.99% | 64.01% |
| 2020 | 37.36% | 62.64% |
| 2021 | 39.50% | 60.50% |
General secretary related jobs gender ratio
We compared general secretaries with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, administrative assistant engineering and assistant operator have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Escrow Secretary | 3% | 97% |
| Placement Secretary | 3% | 97% |
| Administrative Assistant/Secretary/Receptionist | 4% | 96% |
| General Secretary | 39% | 61% |
| Information Technology Assistant | 67% | 33% |
| Assistant Operator | 77% | 23% |
| Administrative Assistant Engineering | 78% | 22% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
General secretary demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among general secretaries is White, which makes up 65.9% of all general secretaries. Comparatively, 16.3% of general secretaries are Hispanic or Latino and 9.3% of general secretaries are Black or African American.
- White, 65.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.3%
- Black or African American, 9.3%
- Unknown, 3.9%
- Asian, 3.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
General secretary race
| General secretary race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 65.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.3% |
| Black or African American | 9.3% |
| Unknown | 3.9% |
| Asian | 3.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
General secretary race and ethnicity over time
See how general secretary racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
General secretary race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.62% | 9.84% | 3.15% | 13.29% |
| 2011 | 71.43% | 10.11% | 3.04% | 13.27% |
| 2012 | 71.12% | 10.11% | 3.12% | 13.36% |
| 2013 | 71.18% | 9.73% | 3.32% | 13.54% |
| 2014 | 70.84% | 9.85% | 3.28% | 13.84% |
| 2015 | 70.31% | 9.85% | 3.30% | 14.31% |
| 2016 | 69.60% | 9.72% | 3.64% | 14.65% |
| 2017 | 69.67% | 9.46% | 3.40% | 15.06% |
| 2018 | 69.71% | 9.19% | 3.45% | 15.35% |
| 2019 | 70.18% | 8.90% | 3.50% | 15.14% |
| 2020 | 68.35% | 8.64% | 3.58% | 14.95% |
| 2021 | 65.90% | 9.33% | 3.84% | 16.33% |
General secretary wage gap by race
According to our data, asian general secretaries have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White general secretaries have the lowest average salary at $57,071.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $57,185 |
| White | $57,071 |
| Black or African American | $58,469 |
| Asian | $64,317 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $59,044 |
Average general secretary age
See how the average age of general secretaries varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
General secretary age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 47 | 52 |
| Unknown | 36 | 49 |
| Asian | 43 | 47 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 38 | 45 |
| White | 45 | 54 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 51 |
General secretary age breakdown
The average age of general secretaries is 40+ years years old, representing 78% of the general secretary population.
General secretary age breakdown
| General Secretary Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 78% |
| 30-40 years | 16% |
| 20-30 years | 6% |
General secretary educational attainment
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 13%
General secretaries by degree level
| General secretary degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 52% |
| Master's | 16% |
| Associate | 10% |
| High School Diploma | 9% |
| Other Degrees | 13% |
General secretary jobs you might like
General secretary wage gap by degree level
According to the data, general secretaries with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $69,259 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, general secretaries earn a median annual income of $63,145 compared to $56,756 for general secretaries with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $69,259 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $55,059 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,145 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $56,756 |
General secretary employment statistics
Most general secretaries work for a private in the education industry.
Company size where general secretaries work
Below, you can see the size of companies where general secretaries work.
General secretary jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 18% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 26% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 5% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 22% |
| > 10,000 employees | 19% |
General secretary jobs by company type
Employees with the general secretary job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most general secretaries prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
General secretary jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 35% |
| Public | 9% |
| Private | 41% |
| Government | 15% |
General secretary jobs by industry
The most common industries for general secretaries are education, professional and government.
General secretary industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 26% |
| Professional | 11% |
| Government | 8% |
| Non Profits | 8% |
| Finance | 7% |
| Health Care | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 6% |
| Retail | 5% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Telecommunication | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
General secretary turnover and employment statistics
General secretary unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for general secretaries between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
General secretary unemployment rate by year
| Year | General secretary unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.58% |
| 2011 | 7.01% |
| 2012 | 5.80% |
| 2013 | 5.28% |
| 2014 | 4.11% |
| 2015 | 3.32% |
| 2016 | 2.98% |
| 2017 | 2.93% |
| 2018 | 2.79% |
| 2019 | 2.48% |
| 2020 | 3.48% |
| 2021 | 4.29% |
Average general secretary tenure
The average general secretary stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,556 general secretaries resumes in Zippia's database.
General secretary tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 17% |
| 1-2 years | 45% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 11% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
General secretary LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of general secretaries that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| General Secretary | 5.70% | - |
| Scheduler | 9.17% | 56,890 |
| Senior Office Assistant | 10.06% | 77,390 |
| Paralegal/Office Manager | 14.76% | 37,871 |
Similar general secretary jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduler | 9.17% | 56,890 |
| Senior Office Assistant | 10.06% | 77,390 |
| Paralegal/Office Manager | 14.76% | 37,871 |
Foreign languages spoken by general secretaries
The most common foreign language among general secretaries is Spanish at 29.2%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 17.8% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 10.8%.
- Spanish, 29.2%
- French, 17.8%
- Arabic, 10.8%
- German, 6.5%
- Mandarin, 6.5%
- Other, 29.2%
General secretary languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 29.2% |
| French | 17.8% |
| Arabic | 10.8% |
| German | 6.5% |
| Mandarin | 6.5% |
| Other | 29.2% |
