Average Secretary Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Secretary salary for 2024 in United States and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Secretary Make in United States?

A Secretary working in United States will typically earn around 45,000 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 21,500 USD to the highest average salary of 66,200 USD.

Average Annual Salary
45,000 USD
Average Monthly Salary
3,750 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
21,500 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
1,791 USD

Highest Annual Salary
66,200 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
5,516 USD

These are average salaries for a Secretary in United States and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Secretary to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Secretary salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Secretary Salaries in United States

So we've looked at the average salaries a Secretary will earn in United States. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Secretary can earn between 21,500 USD and 66,200 USD on average in United States. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Secretary in United States is 41,500 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 41,500 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 41,500 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Secretary salary in United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 30,100 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 30,100 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 51,300 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 51,300 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Secretary Salary by Experience Level in United States

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average secretary salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Secretary in United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 26,600 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Secretary salary would increase to 33,800 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Secretary, the average salary would be 44,200 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 54,100 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Secretary with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 60,200 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Secretary with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 64,100 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
26,600 USD
2-5 Years +34%
33,800 USD
5-10 Years +30%
44,200 USD
10-15 Years +21%
54,100 USD
15-20 Years +9%
60,200 USD
20+ Years +5%
64,100 USD

Secretary Salary by Education Level in United States

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Secretary in United States based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Secretary in United States with a high school education can earn an average salary of 30,300 USD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Secretary in United States with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 42,700 USD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Secretary in United States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 62,100 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
30,300 USD
Certificate or Diploma +43%
42,700 USD
Bachelor's Degree +38%
62,100 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Secretary Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United States, a male secretary will earn an average of 43,400 USD, while a female secretary will earn around 45,700 USD.

This means that a male secretary earns approximately 5% less than a female secretary for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
43,400 USD
Female +5%
45,700 USD

Secretary Average Pay Raise in United States

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Secretary in United States is around 8% every 18 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 8 ÷ 18 ) × 12  = 5%

What this means is that a Secretary in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 5% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Secretary Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Secretary is a low bonus based job, with 28% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

72% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 3%.

Received Bonus
28%
No Bonus
72%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Secretary

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Secretary in United States.

Job Title Category Salary
Accreditation Specialist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 114,600 USD
Admin Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 30,600 USD
Admin Executive Administration / Reception / Secretarial 51,100 USD
Administrative Aide Administration / Reception / Secretarial 39,300 USD
Administrative Analyst Administration / Reception / Secretarial 68,200 USD
Administrative Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 50,100 USD
Administrative Associate Administration / Reception / Secretarial 48,500 USD
Administrative Coordinator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 48,500 USD
Administrative Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 74,100 USD
Administrative Officer Administration / Reception / Secretarial 49,200 USD
Administrative Receptionist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 46,700 USD
Administrative Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 42,700 USD
Administrative Specialist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 49,700 USD
Administrative Support Administration / Reception / Secretarial 43,500 USD
Administrative Technician Administration / Reception / Secretarial 38,700 USD
Board Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 45,000 USD
Branch Office Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 80,900 USD
Business Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 73,700 USD
Business Office Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 124,500 USD
Central Office Operator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 46,700 USD
Clerical Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 30,800 USD
Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 32,900 USD
Commercial Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 65,800 USD
Commissions Processor Administration / Reception / Secretarial 59,100 USD
Conveyancing Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 42,700 USD
Corporate Receptionist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 49,800 USD
Creditors Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 47,200 USD
Data Entry Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 32,600 USD
Data Entry Specialist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 45,300 USD
Document Controller Administration / Reception / Secretarial 40,300 USD
Document Management Specialist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 60,500 USD
Executive Administrative Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 54,600 USD
Executive Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 58,200 USD
Executive Officer Administration / Reception / Secretarial 65,500 USD
Executive Personal Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 65,200 USD
Executive Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 53,600 USD
File Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 35,500 USD
Front Desk Attendant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 45,900 USD
Front Desk Coordinator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 55,700 USD
Front Desk Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 74,200 USD
Front Desk Receptionist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 47,500 USD
Front Desk Shift Leader Administration / Reception / Secretarial 58,000 USD
Front Office Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 41,400 USD
Front Office Executive Administration / Reception / Secretarial 56,600 USD
Group Services Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 137,100 USD
Head Receptionist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 55,300 USD
Inquiry and Admissions Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 34,000 USD
Key Account Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 58,200 USD
Keyboard and Data Entry Operator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 29,600 USD
Leasing Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 59,900 USD
Legal Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 53,600 USD
Librarian Administration / Reception / Secretarial 58,600 USD
Mail Processing Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 29,000 USD
Mail Sorting Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 26,300 USD
Mailroom Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 27,700 USD
Mailroom Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 51,900 USD
Management Support Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 45,300 USD
Master Programme Coordinator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 91,000 USD
Medical Receptionist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 54,600 USD
Meeting and Event Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 54,600 USD
Meeting and Event Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 123,800 USD
Night Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 70,000 USD
Office Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 71,400 USD
Office Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 32,900 USD
Office Automation Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 58,000 USD
Office Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 40,500 USD
Office Coordinator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 48,200 USD
Office Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 85,500 USD
Office Services Coordinator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 61,400 USD
Office Supervisor Administration / Reception / Secretarial 61,700 USD
Operations Analyst Administration / Reception / Secretarial 99,100 USD
Operations Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 51,800 USD
Operations Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 130,500 USD
Personal Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 51,300 USD
Planning Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 54,100 USD
Process Expert Administration / Reception / Secretarial 77,400 USD
Program Coordinator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 69,600 USD
Programme Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 59,800 USD
Project Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 83,300 USD
Project Coordinator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 112,700 USD
Query Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 59,100 USD
Reception Team Lead Administration / Reception / Secretarial 63,500 USD
Receptionist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 45,400 USD
Records Officer Administration / Reception / Secretarial 36,800 USD
Registry Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 50,600 USD
Registry and Filing Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 35,100 USD
Rental Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 35,300 USD
Schedule Officer Administration / Reception / Secretarial 32,600 USD
Scheduler Administration / Reception / Secretarial 33,000 USD
School Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 47,800 USD
Service Reception Head Administration / Reception / Secretarial 57,000 USD
Switchboard Operator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 41,100 USD
Technical Program Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 114,300 USD
Technical Project Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 112,700 USD
Typist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 40,900 USD
Unit Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 42,700 USD
Wayleave Officer Administration / Reception / Secretarial 31,700 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Atlanta 39,800 USD
Austin 50,500 USD
Baltimore 40,200 USD
Boston 41,500 USD
Bristol 33,000 USD
Chicago 47,200 USD
Cincinnati 35,000 USD
Cleveland 41,300 USD
Dallas 48,500 USD
Denver 44,900 USD
Detroit 41,500 USD
Honolulu 36,000 USD
Houston 47,400 USD
Indianapolis 45,000 USD
Iowa City 35,000 USD
Jacksonville 45,600 USD
Kansas City 41,700 USD
Kent 35,300 USD
Las Vegas 41,500 USD
Long Beach 39,800 USD
Los Angeles 54,300 USD
Memphis 43,500 USD
Miami 39,800 USD
Minneapolis 39,500 USD
New Orleans 40,900 USD
New York 50,100 USD
Oakland 40,700 USD
Oklahoma City 44,300 USD
Orlando 35,500 USD
Philadelphia 50,700 USD
Phoenix 49,200 USD
Sacramento 40,200 USD
San Antonio 49,400 USD
San Diego 46,200 USD
San Francisco 49,000 USD
San Jose 48,600 USD
Seattle 45,300 USD
Tampa 37,800 USD
Vancouver 35,400 USD
Washington D.C. 45,600 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

City Average Salary
Alabama 41,500 USD
Alaska 36,800 USD
Arizona 47,600 USD
Arkansas 42,000 USD
California 49,400 USD
Colorado 45,000 USD
Connecticut 45,000 USD
Delaware 38,000 USD
District of Columbia 40,500 USD
Florida 48,300 USD
Georgia 43,800 USD
Hawaii 41,700 USD
Idaho 42,400 USD
Illinois 43,800 USD
Indiana 43,100 USD
Iowa 43,500 USD
Kansas 45,300 USD
Kentucky 41,500 USD
Louisiana 44,300 USD
Maine 42,400 USD
Maryland 44,900 USD
Massachusetts 43,100 USD
Michigan 47,400 USD
Minnesota 41,500 USD
Mississippi 40,200 USD
Missouri 44,200 USD
Montana 40,700 USD
Nebraska 39,300 USD
Nevada 43,200 USD
New Hampshire 42,400 USD
New Jersey 44,700 USD
New Mexico 40,200 USD
New York 50,500 USD
North Carolina 45,600 USD
North Dakota 39,500 USD
Ohio 47,400 USD
Oklahoma 43,100 USD
Oregon 43,200 USD
Pennsylvania 47,400 USD
Rhode Island 39,500 USD
South Carolina 41,500 USD
South Dakota 40,500 USD
Tennessee 48,600 USD
Texas 46,000 USD
Utah 42,000 USD
Vermont 39,100 USD
Virginia 50,000 USD
Washington 44,700 USD
West Virginia 39,800 USD
Wisconsin 46,100 USD
Wyoming 35,000 USD

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