Secretary Salary
Secretary Salary Estimate
$36,442
How much does a Secretary make?
The average salary for a secretary in the United States is $36,442. Secretary salaries typically range between $26,000 and $51,000 a year. The average hourly rate for secretaries is $17.52 per hour.
Location, education, and experience impacts how much a secretary can expect to make. Secretaries make the most in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Washington.
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The average salary for a secretary is $36,442 in the US. -
The average secretary salary ranges between $26,000 and $51,000 in the US. -
Hourly rates for secretaries in the US typically range between $12 and $24 an hour. -
The average secretary salary is $46,054 in California, $43,775 in Connecticut, and $43,694 in Massachusetts. These are the three highest-paying states for secretaries in the US. -
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith has the highest average salary for secretaries. -
Government is the highest-paying industry for secretaries in the US.
Highest Paying States For Secretaries
- State View
- County View
Secretary average salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $43,694 | $21.01 | 1,160 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $43,775 | $21.05 | 355 |
| 3 | Washington | $42,318 | $20.35 | 765 |
| 4 | New York | $39,836 | $19.15 | 2,022 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $43,237 | $20.79 | 202 |
| 6 | Oregon | $39,206 | $18.85 | 457 |
| 7 | California | $46,054 | $22.14 | 2,645 |
| 8 | Alaska | $38,418 | $18.47 | 143 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $38,704 | $18.61 | 113 |
| 10 | Vermont | $39,804 | $19.14 | 68 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $42,499 | $20.43 | 99 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $38,948 | $18.73 | 854 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $36,248 | $17.43 | 183 |
| 14 | Nevada | $37,494 | $18.03 | 185 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $36,274 | $17.44 | 647 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $33,237 | $15.98 | 65 |
| 17 | Michigan | $32,769 | $15.75 | 824 |
| 18 | Arizona | $33,549 | $16.13 | 570 |
| 19 | Maryland | $36,194 | $17.40 | 652 |
| 20 | Idaho | $32,000 | $15.38 | 198 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $34,967 | $16.81 | 150 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $31,001 | $14.90 | 1,370 |
| 23 | Utah | $32,228 | $15.49 | 321 |
| 24 | Maine | $31,517 | $15.15 | 187 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $31,378 | $15.09 | 512 |
| 26 | Ohio | $29,643 | $14.25 | 1,128 |
| 27 | Texas | $31,680 | $15.23 | 1,827 |
| 28 | Alabama | $32,574 | $15.66 | 277 |
| 29 | Illinois | $33,454 | $16.08 | 952 |
| 30 | Virginia | $33,077 | $15.90 | 846 |
| 31 | Montana | $30,026 | $14.44 | 145 |
| 32 | Colorado | $32,271 | $15.51 | 540 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $30,644 | $14.73 | 544 |
| 34 | Florida | $29,514 | $14.19 | 1,930 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $30,395 | $14.61 | 120 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $30,984 | $14.90 | 290 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $31,545 | $15.17 | 190 |
| 38 | Georgia | $31,165 | $14.98 | 873 |
| 39 | Iowa | $29,992 | $14.42 | 311 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $30,581 | $14.70 | 799 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $30,300 | $14.57 | 140 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $29,843 | $14.35 | 78 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $27,624 | $13.28 | 209 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $29,556 | $14.21 | 234 |
| 45 | Missouri | $28,618 | $13.76 | 495 |
| 46 | Delaware | $28,446 | $13.68 | 103 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $27,579 | $13.26 | 379 |
| 48 | Kansas | $28,526 | $13.71 | 215 |
| 49 | Indiana | $25,204 | $12.12 | 558 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $24,640 | $11.85 | 86 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $26,447 | $12.71 | 161 |
Highest Paying Cities For Secretaries
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $47,908 | $23.03 | 12 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $43,608 | $20.97 | 13 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $43,233 | $20.79 | 13 |
| 4 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $42,513 | $20.44 | 15 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $39,940 | $19.20 | 64 |
| 6 | Lake Oswego, OR | $38,919 | $18.71 | |
| 7 | Neptune, NJ | $38,910 | $18.71 | |
| 8 | Providence, RI | $38,735 | $18.62 | 13 |
| 9 | Nashua, NH | $36,688 | $17.64 | 10 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | $36,566 | $17.58 | 12 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $33,563 | $16.14 | 16 |
| 12 | Detroit, MI | $32,766 | $15.75 | 13 |
| 13 | Denver, CO | $32,172 | $15.47 | 6 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $31,768 | $15.27 | 8 |
| 15 | Memphis, TN | $31,752 | $15.27 | 10 |
Here Are The Five Most In Demand Cities Right Now:
Secretary Salary by Years of Experience
Secretarys Salary Details
What is a Secretary's Salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| 75th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| Average | $36,442 | $3,037 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest Paying Types of Secretarys
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Clerk | $32,327 | $2,694 | $15.54 | 137,639 |
| Administrative Support | $37,692 | $3,141 | $18.12 | 114,480 |
| Administrative Professional | $39,486 | $3,291 | $18.98 | 87,372 |
| Administrative Receptionist | $31,502 | $2,625 | $15.15 | 91,892 |
| Administrator Secretary | $34,336 | $2,861 | $16.51 | 99,520 |
| Receptionist Secretary | $29,343 | $2,445 | $14.11 | 61,892 |
Here are the five companies hiring the most now:
Which Companies Pay Secretaries The Most?
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | $67,288 | $32.35 | 13 |
| 2 | Kent Daniels & Associates | $64,922 | $31.21 | 18 |
| 3 | Mayer Brown | $61,647 | $29.64 | 4 |
| 4 | Boston Public Schools | $60,875 | $29.27 | 6 |
| 5 | National Institutes of Health | $60,508 | $29.09 | 2 |
| 6 | SoCalGas | $59,927 | $28.81 | |
| 7 | Saint Xavier University | $58,002 | $27.89 | 2 |
| 8 | Defense Finance and Accounting Service | $57,170 | $27.49 | 2 |
| 9 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $55,904 | $26.88 | 48 |
| 10 | Fenwick & West | $55,816 | $26.83 | 6 |
| 11 | SUNY Empire State College | $55,658 | $26.76 | |
| 12 | Catholic Health East | $55,385 | $26.63 | 89 |
| 13 | Cook Children's Medical Center | $55,300 | $26.59 | 6 |
| 14 | Baptist Health Home Care | $55,260 | $26.57 | 15 |
| 15 | ASRC Federal | $55,004 | $26.44 | 3 |
| 16 | Fresenius Medical Care North America Holdings Limited Partnership | $54,568 | $26.23 | 95 |
| 17 | Bureau of Land Management | $54,144 | $26.03 | 5 |
| 18 | Internal Revenue Service | $53,694 | $25.81 | 4 |
| 19 | Federal Bureau of Investigation | $53,529 | $25.74 | |
| 20 | Lawrence General Hospital | $53,422 | $25.68 | 7 |
How Much Do Secretaries Make In Different Industries?
Secretary salaries can vary depending on the industry. In fact, our data shows that the government, professional, and finance industries tend to offer much higher salaries for secretaries. For example, secretaries make a whopping average salary of $46,574 while working in the government industry. Meanwhile, other people in this field are making $39,722 in the professional industry and $38,072 in the finance industry.
Secretaries may want to avoid working in the health care industry as it offers the lowest average salary of $35,791.
Highest Paying Industries For Secretaries
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $46,574 | $22.39 |
| 2 | Professional | $39,722 | $19.10 |
| 3 | Finance | $38,072 | $18.30 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $36,894 | $17.74 |
| 5 | Education | $36,421 | $17.51 |
| 6 | Health Care | $35,791 | $17.21 |
High Paying Secretary Jobs
Secretary Pay Trends
Average Secretary Salary Over Time
Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Secretary Salary By Year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $36,400 | $17.52 | +3.0% |
| 2022 | $35,400 | $17.00 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $34,400 | $16.52 | +2.8% |
| 2020 | $33,400 | $16.05 | +2.2% |
| 2019 | $32,700 | $15.70 | +2.6% |
Recently Added Secretary Salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Medical College | Secretary III | Valhalla, NY | 05/04/2023 | $52,972 |
| Torrance Memorial Medical Center | Secretary--Days | Torrance, CA | 05/02/2023 | $43,827 |
| CGI Group, Inc. | Secretary II-Uspc | Washington, DC | 05/02/2023 | $47,417 |
| Allegan County | Probation Secretary | Allegan, MI | 05/02/2023 | $43,097 |
| Anne Arundel County Public Schools | Temp-Secretary-(Operations Office-Fort Smallwood Road) | Annapolis, MD | 05/02/2023 | $41,740 |
| System One | Secretary | Davenport, IA | 05/01/2023 | $29,218 |
| Bullitt County Public Schools | Secretary/Bookkeeper-Brooks Elementary | Shepherdsville, KY | 05/01/2023 | $28,696 |
| Bolt Staffing | Secretary | Santa Rosa, CA | 05/01/2023 | $41,740 |
| County of Blair | Judicial Secretary | Altoona, PA | 05/01/2023 | $25,378 |
| River Delta Unified School District | Secretary | Walnut Grove, CA | 05/01/2023 | $44,933 |
Secretary Salaries FAQs
What State Pays Secretaries The Most?
California pays Secretaries the most in the United States, with an average salary of $46,054 per year, or $22.14 per hour.
How Do I Know If I'm Being Paid Fairly As A Secretary?
You know if you are being paid fairly as a Secretary if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Connecticut you should be paid close to $43,775 per year.
What Is A Good Starting Salary For A Secretary?
A good starting salary for a secretary is $28,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a secretary in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for secretaries is $37,942, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a secretary can vary by state.
How Much Does A Secretary Get Paid?
A secretary gets paid $38,000 per year on the national average. Many who are just entering the profession can expect to see an entry-level salary of $30,00 per year. However, those in the top 10% can expect a salary of approximately $49,000 per year.
How Much Does A Secretary Of A Ceo Make?
A secretary of a CEO makes approximately $79,100 per year. These individuals typically need a strong grasp of office duties, such as scheduling and communicative tasks. Many secretaries to CEOs have a bachelor's degree, which may aid in their salary negotiations upon employment.
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