Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
SOC code 43-6013 · O*NET-SOC 43-6013.00 · Little to some preparation needed · Office and administration
Bright Outlook — O*NET expects numerous job openings for this occupation
Medical secretaries run the front and back office of clinics and practices: scheduling, records, insurance forms, patient check-in. Medical terminology and billing software are the skills that distinguish the role, and short certificate programs cover both.
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$45,930
a year
Hourly
$22.08
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$46,800
$22.50 per hour
Middle 50%
$38,570 – $50,580
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$35,930 – $60,530
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
961,610
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $35,930
- $17.27/hr
- 25th percentile
- $38,570
- $18.54/hr
- Median percentile
- $45,930
- $22.08/hr
- 75th percentile
- $50,580
- $24.32/hr
- 90th percentile
- $60,530
- $29.10/hr
What do medical secretaries and administrative assistants do?
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.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- Answer telephones and direct calls to appropriate staff.
- Transcribe recorded messages or practitioners' diagnoses or recommendations into patients' medical records.
- Compile and record medical charts, reports, or correspondence, using typewriter or personal computer.
- 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.
How to qualify for this work
Most people in this role hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged) — 48% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 2 — Little to some preparation needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)48%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree26%
- Post-Secondary Certificate20%
- Less than a High School Diploma5%
Common questions
How much does a medical secretaries and administrative assistants earn?
The national median is $45,930 a year. The full range runs from $35,930 at the 10th percentile to $60,530 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become a medical secretaries and administrative assistants without a degree?
Yes — this occupation sits in preparation zone 2, meaning the typical entry route is usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. A four-year degree is not the standard requirement, though licensing or certification may still apply.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Speaking4.0/5
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Reading Comprehension3.5/5
- Writing3.1/5
- Critical Thinking3.1/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service4.4/5
- English Language4.3/5
- Administrative3.9/5
- Medicine and Dentistry3.6/5
- Personnel and Human Resources3.4/5
- Computers and Electronics3.4/5
- Administration and Management3.3/5
- Economics and Accounting3.0/5
Transferable strengths: Service Orientation, Coordination, Complex Problem Solving, Time Management.