Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.
Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers. The role reports a median annual salary of $46,290 in the US and is showing modest growth of -2% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows high AI exposure (0.82 on a 0-1 scale) — significant portions of core tasks are already being automated. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Service Orientation.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £34,954 a year for Personal assistants and other secretaries (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £28,565 to £43,903 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 4215). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Clerical support workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 4. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification ITI Stenographer & Secretarial Assistant trade (1 year after Class 10), leading to the National Trade Certificate[1]
- 2 · Entrance exam SSC Stenographer Grade C & D exam (Class 12 pass plus a shorthand skill test)[2]
- 3 · First role Stenographer Grade C or D in a central government office[2]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- DGT — Stenographer & Secretarial Assistant (English) CTS curriculum (read on 2026-09-27)
- SSC — Stenographer Grade 'C' & 'D' Examination notice (read on 2026-09-27)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Administrative
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
- Communications and Media
- Economics and Accounting
A day in the life
You start the morning by unlocking the office, switching on the phones and checking the overnight emails and voicemail. As the day gets going you greet visitors at reception, find out what they need and direct them to the right person. Between phone calls you take messages, transfer callers and answer simple questions about opening hours and services. Mid-morning you update the database with new contact details and file incoming letters and invoices in the right folders. The copier jams again, so you clear it and call in a repair. After lunch you type up meeting notes, prepare letters and handle emails that need sending on to other teams. Later you reorganise a filing cabinet and order office supplies. Much of the work is repetitive and can feel like it never ends. But people count on you to keep the office running smoothly, and when a colleague says they could not manage without you, it feels good.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or transfer calls to appropriate individuals.
- Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
- Create, maintain, and enter information into databases.
- Use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing.
- Operate office equipment, such as fax machines, copiers, or phone systems and arrange for repairs when equipment malfunctions.
- Set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, recording information, updating paperwork, or maintaining documents, such as attendance records, correspondence, or other material.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive do?
Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.
What does a typical day look like in Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive?
You start the morning by unlocking the office, switching on the phones and checking the overnight emails and voicemail. As the day gets going you greet visitors at reception, find out what they need and direct them to the right person. Between phone calls you take messages, transfer callers and answer simple questions about opening hours and services. Mid-morning you update the database with new contact details and file incoming letters and invoices in the right folders.
How much does Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive earn?
The median annual salary for Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive in the US is $46,290.
What is the job outlook for Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive?
The role is showing modest growth of -2% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 1,944,000 workers.
How do I become secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Service Orientation, Time Management. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive?
Our AI-durability model gives Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive a score of 0.82 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at high AI risk — many core tasks are already being automated by generative AI and workflow tools. Focus on AI-adjacent skills or plan a pivot to an AI-durable adjacent role.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.