Research Summary. Using a database of 30 million profiles, Zippia estimates demographics and statistics for secretaries in the United States. Our estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- 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 age of an employed secretary 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 2021, women 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.
Secretary Statistics By Gender
89.9% of secretaries are women and 10.1% of secretaries are men.
- Female, 89.9%
- Male, 10.1%
Secretaries By Gender
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 89.9% |
| Male | 10.1% |
Gender Pay Gap For Secretary
Women Earn 93ยข For Every $1 Earned By Men
Secretary Gender Over Time
This data shows how men and women predominate in the secretary position over time.
Secretary Gender 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 Male to Female Ratio
We compared this job title with other job titles to see how gender percentages varied. As you can see, administrative assistant engineering and assistant operator have the biggest difference in gender.
| 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% |
Secretary Statistics By Race
The most common ethnicity among secretaries is White, which makes up 65.7% of all secretaries. Comparatively, there are 16.5% of the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity and 9.4% of the Black or African American ethnicity.
- 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
Using the Census Bureau data, we found out how the percentage of each ethnic category trended between 2010-2019 among secretaries.
- White
- Asian
- Hispanic or Latino
- Black or African American
Secretary Race 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
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $39,624 |
| White | $39,584 |
| Black or African American | $40,078 |
| Asian | $42,084 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $40,279 |
Average Age of a Secretary
We determined the average age of secretaries based on ethnicity and gender.
Secretary Age By Race
| 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
This chart breaks down the ages of secretary employees. Interestingly enough, the average age of secretaries is 40+ years old, which represents 78% of the population.
Secretary Age
| Secretary Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 78% |
| 30-40 years | 16% |
| 20-30 years | 6% |
Types of Secretary Degree Levels
The most common degree for secretaries is bachelor's degree 38% of secretaries earn that degree. A close second is associate degree with 24% and rounding it off is high school diploma with 23%.
- Bachelors, 38%
- Associate, 24%
- High School Diploma, 23%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 9%
Secretaries By Education
| Secretary Degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelors | 38% |
| Associate | 24% |
| High School Diploma | 23% |
| Diploma | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 9% |
Secretary Jobs You Might Like
Secretary Wage Gap By Education
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $38,862 |
| Master's Degree | $43,712 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,690 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $39,472 |
Secretary Employment Statistics
This section highlights information about where secretaries work. We found most secretaries work for a private company. In addition, the industry that employs the most secretaries is the education industry.
Company Size
We created this chart to show you the average size of companies that typically hire secretaries.
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% |
The Types Of Companies Secretary Work In
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% |
Top Industries Hiring Secretaries
Just based on the number of employees within each industry, we were able to determine the most common industries that employ secretaries. Those industries include 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 Bureau of Labor Statistics came in clutch when it came down to figuring out how the unemployment rate has changed over time. Between 2008 and 2018, this is how the number of secretaries changed.
- Unemployment rate
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% |
The Average Number of Years That Secretary Stay in a Job
By looking over 212,331 secretaries resumes, we figured out that the average secretary enjoys staying at their job for 1-2 years for a percentage of 37%.
Secretary Tenure
| Number or 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% |
Comparing The LGBT Ratio of Secretarys with Other Job Titles
After finding the gender ratio, we wondered if the percentages of LGBT persons were different as well. Using the data below, you can see how other job titles compare to secretaries.
| 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 |
Secretary 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 Secretarys
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% |
