Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Career Cluster
Business, Marketing, and Finance
Focuses on making businesses more efficient and productive. In this field, you'll plan, organize, direct, and assess businesses.
Learn more about this clusterAt a glance
Expected pay range
Expected pay range
This represents the median earnings for this career in the selected county or state. In the range shown, 25% of workers earned less than the bottom salary and 25% earned more than the top salary. Data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Monthly cost of living
These numbers give you an idea of how much you can spend each month on common expenses with this salary. Percentages are the average a person with no children spends according to data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (external link opens new tab) These numbers are a starting point and will differ person to person.
Your actual expenses may differ from those listed. You’ll need to account for the amount taken out in taxes each month. Learn more about income tax expenses. (external link opens new tab) Your student loan payments may also differ. To calculate your student loan payments, use the federal student loan repayment estimator. (external link opens new tab)
About secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
What they do
Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.
Other titles
Administrative Assistant (Admin Assistant), Administrative Clerk, Administrative Secretary (Admin Secretary), Administrative Specialist (Admin Specialist), Administrative Support Assistant (ASA), Administrative Technician, Department Secretary, Office Assistant, Secretary, Staff Assistant
Skills they need
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Licenses and Certifications they may hold
How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.
- License Type
- Stand-alone license
- Status
- Active
- Exam
- No exam required
- Education
- No educational requirements
- Continuing education
- No continuing education requirement to maintain license
- Criminal record
- Background check required
- License Type
- Stand-alone license
- Status
- Active
- Exam
- No exam required
- Education
- No educational requirements
- Continuing education
- No continuing education requirement to maintain license
- Criminal record
- Background check required
Certifications
Certifications may be available for this career and can help build knowledge and skills in specific job roles. Explore available certifications (external link opens new tab)
Similar careers
View careers in the same field as secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive.
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks
Perform clerical duties for courts of law, municipalities, or governmental licensing agencies and bureaus. May prepare docket of cases to be called; secure information for judges and court; prepare draft agendas or bylaws for town or city council; answer official correspondence; keep fiscal records and accounts; issue licenses or permits; and record data, administer tests, or collect fees.
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
In demand
In demand careers have high-growth, high-demand, and emerging jobs critical to Texas. They are based on economic indicators like in demand industries, labor market trends, and economic conditions, provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Perform secretarial duties using specific knowledge of medical terminology and hospital, clinic, or laboratory procedures. Duties may include scheduling appointments, billing patients, and compiling and recording medical charts, reports, and correspondence.
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Compile and record employee time and payroll data. May compute employees' time worked, production, and commission. May compute and post wages and deductions, or prepare paychecks.
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Perform secretarial duties using legal terminology, procedures, and documents. Prepare legal papers and correspondence, such as summonses, complaints, motions, and subpoenas. May also assist with legal research.
- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO (external link opens new tab)
- International Association of Administrative Professionals (external link opens new tab)
- International Virtual Assistants Association (external link opens new tab)
- NALS...the association for legal professionals (external link opens new tab)
- National Association of Educational Office Professionals (external link opens new tab)
- National Association of Professional Women (external link opens new tab)
- National Education Association (external link opens new tab)
- National Notary Association (external link opens new tab)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Secretaries and administrative assistants (external link opens new tab)
- Society for Human Resource Management (external link opens new tab)