Office secretary demographics and statistics in the US
Office secretary demographics research summary. Zippia estimates office secretary demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our office 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 office secretaries after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 1,120,452 office secretaries currently employed in the United States.
- 85.3% of all office secretaries are women, while 14.7% are men.
- The average office secretary age is 50 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of office secretaries is White (66.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.1%), Black or African American (9.2%) and Unknown (3.9%).
- Office secretaries are most in-demand in Akron, OH.
- Santa Rosa, CA pays an annual average wage of $42,131, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women office secretaries earned 94% of what men earned.
- Hawaii is the best state for office secretaries to live.
- Office secretaries are 38% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Office secretary demographics by:
Office secretary gender statistics
85.3% of office secretaries are women and 14.7% of office secretaries are men.
- Female, 85.3%
- Male, 14.7%
Office secretary gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 85.3% |
| Male | 14.7% |
Office secretary gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$35,735
Female income
$33,737
Office secretary gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in office secretary positions over time. Currently, 85.3% of office secretaries are female.
Office secretary gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 9.06% | 90.94% |
| 2011 | 8.70% | 91.30% |
| 2012 | 9.54% | 90.46% |
| 2013 | 9.37% | 90.63% |
| 2014 | 9.78% | 90.22% |
| 2015 | 10.71% | 89.29% |
| 2016 | 10.60% | 89.40% |
| 2017 | 11.57% | 88.43% |
| 2018 | 12.33% | 87.67% |
| 2019 | 12.89% | 87.11% |
| 2020 | 13.57% | 86.43% |
| 2021 | 14.66% | 85.34% |
Office secretary related jobs gender ratio
We compared office 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% |
| Office Secretary | 15% | 85% |
| 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%
Office secretary demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among office secretaries is White, which makes up 66.2% of all office secretaries. Comparatively, 16.1% of office secretaries are Hispanic or Latino and 9.2% of office secretaries are Black or African American.
- White, 66.2%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.1%
- Black or African American, 9.2%
- Unknown, 3.9%
- Asian, 3.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
Office secretary race
| Office secretary race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 66.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.1% |
| Black or African American | 9.2% |
| Unknown | 3.9% |
| Asian | 3.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
Office secretary race and ethnicity over time
See how office secretary racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Office secretary race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.94% | 9.73% | 3.13% | 13.11% |
| 2011 | 71.75% | 10.00% | 3.02% | 13.09% |
| 2012 | 71.44% | 10.00% | 3.10% | 13.17% |
| 2013 | 71.49% | 9.62% | 3.30% | 13.35% |
| 2014 | 71.16% | 9.74% | 3.27% | 13.66% |
| 2015 | 70.62% | 9.74% | 3.28% | 14.13% |
| 2016 | 69.92% | 9.61% | 3.62% | 14.47% |
| 2017 | 69.99% | 9.35% | 3.39% | 14.87% |
| 2018 | 70.03% | 9.08% | 3.43% | 15.17% |
| 2019 | 70.50% | 8.79% | 3.48% | 14.96% |
| 2020 | 68.67% | 8.53% | 3.57% | 14.76% |
| 2021 | 66.21% | 9.22% | 3.82% | 16.14% |
Office secretary wage gap by race
According to our data, asian office secretaries have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White office secretaries have the lowest average salary at $35,243.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $35,270 |
| White | $35,243 |
| Black or African American | $35,574 |
| Asian | $36,905 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $35,708 |
Average office secretary age
See how the average age of office secretaries varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Office 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 |
Office secretary age breakdown
The average age of office secretaries is 40+ years years old, representing 78% of the office secretary population.
Office secretary age breakdown
| Office Secretary Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 78% |
| 30-40 years | 16% |
| 20-30 years | 6% |
Office secretary educational attainment
The most common degree for office secretaries is bachelor's degree, with 42% of office secretaries earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 22% and associate degree degree at 20%.
- Bachelor's, 42%
- Associate, 22%
- High School Diploma, 20%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 10%
Office secretaries by degree level
| Office secretary degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 42% |
| Associate | 22% |
| High School Diploma | 20% |
| Master's | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 10% |
Office secretary jobs you might like
Office secretary wage gap by degree level
According to the data, office secretaries with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $37,973 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, office secretaries earn a median annual income of $36,644 compared to $35,168 for office secretaries with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $37,973 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $34,759 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,644 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,168 |
Office secretary employment statistics
Most office secretaries work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where office secretaries work
Below, you can see the size of companies where office secretaries work.
Office secretary jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 16% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 21% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 20% |
Office secretary jobs by company type
Employees with the office secretary job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most office secretaries prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Office secretary jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 38% |
| Public | 9% |
| Private | 37% |
| Government | 16% |
Office secretary jobs by industry
The most common industries for office secretaries are education, government and professional.
Office secretary industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 33% |
| Government | 14% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Health Care | 7% |
| Non Profits | 5% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Retail | 5% |
| Finance | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Insurance | 4% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Office secretary turnover and employment statistics
Office secretary unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for office secretaries between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Office secretary unemployment rate by year
| Year | Office 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 office secretary tenure
The average office secretary stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 9,050 office secretaries resumes in Zippia's database.
Office secretary tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 27% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Office secretary LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of office 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Office Secretary | 5.70% | - |
| Hospital Secretary | 9.17% | 9,383 |
| Contract Executive Administrative Assistant | 10.06% | 109,257 |
| Paralegal/Office Manager | 14.76% | 37,871 |
Similar office secretary jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital Secretary | 9.17% | 9,383 |
| Contract Executive Administrative Assistant | 10.06% | 109,257 |
| Paralegal/Office Manager | 14.76% | 37,871 |
Foreign languages spoken by office secretaries
The most common foreign language among office secretaries is Spanish at 51.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.8% and Russian is the third-most popular at 4.7%.
- Spanish, 51.0%
- French, 12.8%
- Russian, 4.7%
- Portuguese, 3.9%
- Chinese, 3.9%
- Other, 23.7%
Office secretary languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 51.0% |
| French | 12.8% |
| Russian | 4.7% |
| Portuguese | 3.9% |
| Chinese | 3.9% |
| Other | 23.7% |
