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Secretary salary
Average secretary salary
$36,442
Secretary Salary Overview
The average salary for a Secretary in the United States is approximately $36,442 annually, or about $18 per hour. This compensation can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry.
State-Wise Salary Breakdown
Secretaries in states like California and New York often earn more due to higher living costs and demand for skilled administrative professionals. For instance, the highest-paying states for secretaries include:
- California: $45,000
- New York: $43,500
- Washington: $42,000
Experience Level Impact
Experience also plays a significant role in salary determination. Entry-level secretaries may start at around $30,000, while those with several years of experience can earn upwards of $50,000. This variation emphasizes the need for skill development and professional growth within the field.
Conclusion
Understanding these salary dynamics helps prospective employees gauge their earning potential and make informed career decisions. Explore our site for more information on job opportunities and specific salary estimates.
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Where can a Secretary earn more?
Secretary salaries by experience level
Secretary salary estimates from across the web
Average secretary salary by state
The highest-paying states for secretaries are California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The lowest average secretary salary states are Delaware, Nebraska, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for secretaries
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $43,694 | $21.01 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $43,775 | $21.05 |
| 3 | Washington | $42,318 | $20.35 |
| 4 | New York | $39,836 | $19.15 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $43,237 | $20.79 |
| 6 | Oregon | $39,206 | $18.85 |
| 7 | California | $46,054 | $22.14 |
| 8 | Alaska | $38,418 | $18.47 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $38,704 | $18.61 |
| 10 | Vermont | $39,804 | $19.14 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $42,499 | $20.43 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $38,948 | $18.73 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $36,248 | $17.43 |
| 14 | Nevada | $37,494 | $18.03 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $36,274 | $17.44 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $33,237 | $15.98 |
| 17 | Michigan | $32,769 | $15.75 |
| 18 | Arizona | $33,549 | $16.13 |
| 19 | Maryland | $36,194 | $17.40 |
| 20 | Idaho | $32,000 | $15.38 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $34,967 | $16.81 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $31,001 | $14.90 |
| 23 | Utah | $32,228 | $15.49 |
| 24 | Maine | $31,517 | $15.15 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $31,378 | $15.09 |
| 26 | Ohio | $29,643 | $14.25 |
| 27 | Texas | $31,680 | $15.23 |
| 28 | Alabama | $32,574 | $15.66 |
| 29 | Illinois | $33,454 | $16.08 |
| 30 | Virginia | $33,077 | $15.90 |
| 31 | Montana | $30,026 | $14.44 |
| 32 | Colorado | $32,271 | $15.51 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $30,644 | $14.73 |
| 34 | Florida | $29,514 | $14.19 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $30,395 | $14.61 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $30,984 | $14.90 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $31,545 | $15.17 |
| 38 | Georgia | $31,165 | $14.98 |
| 39 | Iowa | $29,992 | $14.42 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $30,581 | $14.70 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $30,300 | $14.57 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $29,843 | $14.35 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $27,624 | $13.28 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $29,556 | $14.21 |
| 45 | Missouri | $28,618 | $13.76 |
| 46 | Delaware | $28,446 | $13.68 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $27,579 | $13.26 |
| 48 | Kansas | $28,526 | $13.71 |
| 49 | Indiana | $25,204 | $12.12 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $24,640 | $11.85 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $26,447 | $12.71 |
Highest paying cities for secretaries
The highest-paying cities for secretaries are San Francisco, CA, Boston, MA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $47,908 | $23.03 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $43,608 | $20.97 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $43,233 | $20.79 |
| 4 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $42,513 | $20.44 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $39,940 | $19.20 |
| 6 | Lake Oswego, OR | $38,919 | $18.71 |
| 7 | Neptune, NJ | $38,910 | $18.71 |
| 8 | Providence, RI | $38,735 | $18.62 |
| 9 | Nashua, NH | $36,688 | $17.64 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | $36,566 | $17.58 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $33,563 | $16.14 |
| 12 | Detroit, MI | $32,766 | $15.75 |
| 13 | Denver, CO | $32,172 | $15.47 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $31,768 | $15.27 |
| 15 | Memphis, TN | $31,752 | $15.27 |
| 16 | Albany, GA | $31,673 | $15.23 |
| 17 | Cleveland, OH | $30,501 | $14.66 |
| 18 | Cedar Falls, IA | $30,233 | $14.54 |
| 19 | Miami, FL | $29,619 | $14.24 |
| 20 | Billings, MT | $29,443 | $14.16 |
Secretaries are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Secretary salary details
A secretary's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $51,000 at the 90th percentile.
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 secretary jobs
The highest paying types of secretaries are assistant secretary, executive secretary, and legal secretary.
| 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 |
Top companies hiring secretaries now:
Which companies pay secretaries the most?
Secretary salaries at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith and Kent Daniels & Associates are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average secretary salary at companies like Mayer Brown and Boston Public Schools are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | $67,288 | $32.35 |
| 2 | Kent Daniels & Associates | $64,922 | $31.21 |
| 3 | Mayer Brown | $61,647 | $29.64 |
| 4 | Boston Public Schools | $60,875 | $29.27 |
| 5 | National Institutes of Health | $60,508 | $29.09 |
| 6 | SoCalGas | $59,927 | $28.81 |
| 7 | Saint Xavier University | $58,002 | $27.89 |
| 8 | Defense Finance and Accounting Service | $57,170 | $27.49 |
| 9 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $55,904 | $26.88 |
| 10 | Fenwick & West | $55,816 | $26.83 |
| 11 | SUNY Empire State College | $55,658 | $26.76 |
| 12 | Catholic Health East | $55,385 | $26.63 |
| 13 | Cook Children's Medical Center | $55,300 | $26.59 |
| 14 | Baptist Health Home Care | $55,260 | $26.57 |
| 15 | ASRC Federal | $55,004 | $26.44 |
| 16 | Fresenius Medical Care North America Holdings Limited Partnership | $54,568 | $26.23 |
| 17 | Bureau of Land Management | $54,144 | $26.03 |
| 18 | Internal Revenue Service | $53,694 | $25.81 |
| 19 | Federal Bureau of Investigation | $53,529 | $25.74 |
| 20 | Lawrence General Hospital | $53,422 | $25.68 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Secretary salary by industry
The average secretary salary varies across industries:
- The average secretary salary in the government industry is $46,574, the highest of any industry.
- The average secretary salary in the finance industry is $39,722.
- Secretaries in the health care industry earn an average salary of $35,791, the lowest of any industry.
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 salary trends
The average secretary salary has risen by $6,548 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average secretary earned $29,894 annually, but today, they earn $36,442 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for secretaries over the last decade.
Compare secretary salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average secretary salary over time
Compare secretary salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Secretary salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $36,400 | $17.52 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $35,400 | $17.00 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $34,400 | $16.52 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $33,400 | $16.05 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $32,700 | $15.70 | +2.6% |
Recently added secretary salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Integrations | Patent Secretary | San Jose, CA | 06/29/2025 | $74,615 |
| Neheadstart | Secretary | Omaha, NE | 06/29/2025 | $34,811 |
| Hofstra University | Secretary, Grade B | Hempstead, NY | 06/28/2025 | $39,110 |
| Safer Foundation | Security Secretary | Chicago, IL | 06/28/2025 | $42,100 |
| State of Michigan | Secretary 9 (Section Secretary) | Lansing, MI | 06/28/2025 | $49,629 |
| Iberia Parish School District | Secretary (Ipsd Special Education Department | New Iberia, LA | 06/27/2025 | $27,110 |
| Lower Merion School District | Secretary (S195) | Ardmore, PA | 06/27/2025 | $45,761 |
| Colonial School District | Secretary-Pwhs | Kane, PA | 06/27/2025 | $47,223 |
| Chippewa Valley Schools | Secretary-Huron Elementary | Clinton, MI | 06/27/2025 | $45,017 |
| Lenape Regional High School District | Secretary- | Shamong, NJ | 06/27/2025 | $40,275 |
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