Secretary demographics and statistics in the US
Secretary demographics research summary. Zippia estimates secretary demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our 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 secretaries after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 1,370,340 secretaries currently employed in the United States.
- 89.9% of all secretaries are women, while 10.1% are men.
- The average secretary age is 50 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of secretaries is White (65.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.5%), Black or African American (9.4%) and Unknown (3.9%).
- Secretaries are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The government industry is the highest-paying for secretaries.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $47,908, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women secretaries earned 93% of what men earned.
- 6% of all secretaries are LGBT.
- Massachusetts is the best state for secretaries to live.
- Secretaries are 43% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Secretary demographics by:
Secretary gender statistics
89.9% of secretaries are women and 10.1% of secretaries are men.
- Female, 89.9%
- Male, 10.1%
Secretary gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 89.9% |
| Male | 10.1% |
Secretary gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$40,320
Female income
$37,349
Secretary gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in secretary positions over time. Currently, 89.9% of secretaries are female.
Secretary gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.14% | 93.86% |
| 2011 | 5.89% | 94.11% |
| 2012 | 6.47% | 93.53% |
| 2013 | 6.35% | 93.65% |
| 2014 | 6.64% | 93.36% |
| 2015 | 7.30% | 92.70% |
| 2016 | 7.22% | 92.78% |
| 2017 | 7.91% | 92.09% |
| 2018 | 8.45% | 91.55% |
| 2019 | 8.85% | 91.15% |
| 2020 | 9.34% | 90.66% |
| 2021 | 10.13% | 89.87% |
Secretary related jobs gender ratio
We compared 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% |
| Secretary | 10% | 90% |
| 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%
Secretary demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among secretaries is White, which makes up 65.7% of all secretaries. Comparatively, 16.5% of secretaries are Hispanic or Latino and 9.4% of secretaries are Black or African American.
- White, 65.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.5%
- Black or African American, 9.4%
- Unknown, 3.9%
- Asian, 3.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Secretary race
| Secretary race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 65.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.5% |
| Black or African American | 9.4% |
| Unknown | 3.9% |
| Asian | 3.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Secretary race and ethnicity over time
See how secretary racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Secretary race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.38% | 9.92% | 3.16% | 13.43% |
| 2011 | 71.19% | 10.19% | 3.05% | 13.41% |
| 2012 | 70.88% | 10.20% | 3.13% | 13.50% |
| 2013 | 70.93% | 9.81% | 3.33% | 13.68% |
| 2014 | 70.60% | 9.94% | 3.30% | 13.98% |
| 2015 | 70.06% | 9.93% | 3.31% | 14.45% |
| 2016 | 69.36% | 9.80% | 3.65% | 14.79% |
| 2017 | 69.43% | 9.54% | 3.42% | 15.20% |
| 2018 | 69.47% | 9.27% | 3.46% | 15.50% |
| 2019 | 69.94% | 8.99% | 3.51% | 15.28% |
| 2020 | 68.11% | 8.73% | 3.60% | 15.09% |
| 2021 | 65.65% | 9.42% | 3.85% | 16.47% |
Secretary wage gap by race
According to our data, asian secretaries have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White secretaries have the lowest average salary at $39,584.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $39,624 |
| White | $39,584 |
| Black or African American | $40,078 |
| Asian | $42,084 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $40,279 |
Average secretary age
See how the average age of secretaries varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
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 |
Secretary age breakdown
The average age of secretaries is 40+ years years old, representing 78% of the secretary population.
Secretary age breakdown
| Secretary Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 78% |
| 30-40 years | 16% |
| 20-30 years | 6% |
Secretary educational attainment
The most common degree for secretaries is bachelor's degree, with 38% of secretaries earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 24% and associate degree degree at 23%.
- Bachelor's, 38%
- Associate, 24%
- High School Diploma, 23%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 9%
Secretaries by degree level
| Secretary degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 38% |
| Associate | 24% |
| High School Diploma | 23% |
| Diploma | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 9% |
Secretary jobs you might like
Secretary wage gap by degree level
According to the data, secretaries with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $43,712 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, secretaries earn a median annual income of $41,690 compared to $39,472 for secretaries with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $43,712 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $38,862 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,690 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $39,472 |
Secretary employment statistics
Most secretaries work for a private in the education industry.
Company size where secretaries work
Below, you can see the size of companies where secretaries work.
Secretary jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 15% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 28% |
| > 10,000 employees | 29% |
Secretary jobs by company type
Employees with the secretary job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most secretaries prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Secretary jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 27% |
| Public | 18% |
| Private | 43% |
| Government | 12% |
Secretary jobs by industry
The most common industries for secretaries are education, professional and non profits.
Secretary industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 21% |
| Professional | 10% |
| Non Profits | 10% |
| Fortune 500 | 10% |
| Government | 9% |
| Health Care | 8% |
| Retail | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Insurance | 4% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
Secretary turnover and employment statistics
Secretary unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for secretaries between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Secretary unemployment rate by year
| Year | 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 secretary tenure
The average secretary stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 212,331 secretaries resumes in Zippia's database.
Secretary tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 25% |
| 1-2 years | 37% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Secretary LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Secretary | 5.70% | - |
| Credentialing Assistant | 9.17% | 49,310 |
| Executive Assistant/Office Manager | 10.06% | 119,266 |
| Paralegal/Office Manager | 14.76% | 37,871 |
Similar secretary jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Credentialing Assistant | 9.17% | 49,310 |
| Executive Assistant/Office Manager | 10.06% | 119,266 |
| Paralegal/Office Manager | 14.76% | 37,871 |
Foreign languages spoken by secretaries
The most common foreign language among secretaries is Spanish at 62.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.5% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 3.0%.
- Spanish, 62.8%
- French, 8.5%
- Chinese, 3.0%
- Mandarin, 2.9%
- German, 2.7%
- Other, 20.1%
Secretary languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 62.8% |
| French | 8.5% |
| Chinese | 3.0% |
| Mandarin | 2.9% |
| German | 2.7% |
| Other | 20.1% |
