Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Career, Salary and Skills
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $45,930 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 961,610. Wage data is published for 444 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
43-6013.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$45,930
Hourly median
$22.08
Employment
961,610
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.00 | 3.62 |
| Active Listening | 3.88 | 3.50 |
| Service Orientation | 3.62 | 3.25 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | 3.12 | 2.75 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.12 | 2.75 |
| Writing | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Monitoring | 3.00 | 2.88 |
Typical tasks
- Answer telephones and direct calls to appropriate staff.
- Schedule and confirm patient diagnostic appointments, surgeries, or medical consultations.
- Complete insurance or other claim forms.
- Greet visitors, ascertain purpose of visit, and direct them to appropriate staff.
- Transmit correspondence or medical records by mail, e-mail, or fax.
- Maintain medical records, technical library, or correspondence files.
- Receive and route messages or documents, such as laboratory results, to appropriate staff.
- Interview patients to complete documents, case histories, or forms, such as intake or insurance forms.
Technology
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Publisher
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Word
- Microsys MicroMD
- NaviMedix NaviNet
- Patterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft
- PracticeWorks Systems Kodak WINOMS CS
- Scheduling software
- Web browser software
- Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance CMS Secure Net Access Portal C-SNAP
- Accounts payable software
- Accounts receivable software
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary in CAMedian $54,490 · Employment 115,050
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary in FLMedian $41,730 · Employment 96,000
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary in TXMedian $42,910 · Employment 78,740
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary in NYMedian $47,710 · Employment 57,720
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary in NCMedian $44,190 · Employment 56,840
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary in New York, NYMedian $49,230 · Employment 52,640
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary in TNMedian $39,940 · Employment 41,810
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $51,410 · Employment 40,380
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary in GAMedian $43,160 · Employment 39,380
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary in OHMedian $44,280 · Employment 29,110
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary in MIMedian $41,100 · Employment 27,960
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary in PAMedian $44,930 · Employment 27,600
Related careers
- Emergency Medicine PhysiciansNational median $335,550
- Billing and Posting ClerksNational median $48,500
- Health Information Technologists and Medical RegistrarsNational median $68,020
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government ProgramsNational median $54,210
- Pharmacy TechniciansNational median $45,750
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and TimekeepingNational median $50,610
- Interviewers, Except Eligibility and LoanNational median $45,920
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support WorkersNational median $69,500
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.