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

What is an office secretary and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

As an office secretary, you will oversee administrative and clerical duties to ensure the office runs smoothly. They answer the phone, take messages and refer calls to respective staff members. Likewise, they open, sort, and distribute the mails and faxes to the appropriate recipients. They schedule appointments and update event calendars. Furthermore, they arrange meetings and coordinate conference room schedules. Also, they prepare and edit memos and other documents for internal or external distribution. Additionally, they monitor office supplies and restock as needed.

Most office secretaries have organization, attention to detail, multitasking, proofreading, interpersonal, and communication skills. Applicants must hold a minimum of a high school diploma or its equivalent. You must have relevant work experience. You must be familiar with general office procedures and be proficient in Microsoft Office. Office secretaries earn an average salary of $35,835 per year. This ranges between $24,000 and $53,000.

What general advice would you give to an office 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.

ScoreOffice SecretaryUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,118

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 3.82%

Black or African American 9.22%

Hispanic or Latino 16.14%

Unknown 3.87%

White 66.21%

Gender

female 85.34%

male 14.66%

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 office secretary

Explore office secretary education requirements

Most common office secretary degrees

Bachelor's

41.9 %

Associate

21.6 %

High School Diploma

20.4 %

Start to develop specific office secretary skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Entry	12.13%
Phone Calls	10.70%
Telephone Calls	7.87%
Scheduling Appointments	7.44%
Office Procedures	6.52%

Complete relevant office secretary training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New office 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 office secretary based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real office secretary resumes.

Gain additional office secretary certifications

Office 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 office secretary certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for office secretaries include Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM) and Microsoft Office Specialist: Expert (Office 365 and Office 2019).

More About Certifications

Research office secretary duties and responsibilities

Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.
Research and keep updated on Medicare and Medicaid benefits, qualification requirements, and the legal and financial effects of options.
Determine client eligibility for Medicaid transportation.
Process and submit payroll information and invoices.

Prepare your office secretary resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your office 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 office 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 office secretary resume templates

Build a professional office 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 office secretary resume.