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Salary comparison

Customer Service Representatives vs. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive: Who Earns More?

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive out-earn Customer Service Representatives by $3K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Customer Service Representatives land at $44,770 and Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive at $47,540. The education gap is real: customer service representatif programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Customer Service Representatives is Washington ($50,330); for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive it's District of Columbia ($59,910).

Customer Service Representatives
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Median salary
$44,770
$47,540
Hourly rate
$21.53/hr
$22.86/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$31,750
$33,280
Senior level (90th %)
$63,590
$66,350
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
2,595,750
1,706,790
Job growth (10-year)
-5.5%
-1.6%
Category
Office & Admin
Office & Admin
Top-paying state
Washington
District of Columbia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Customer Service Representatives median pay.

State
Customer Service Representatives
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Washington
$50,330
$57,330
California
$49,560
$55,400
Massachusetts
$49,120
$57,940
Minnesota
$48,800
$51,400
District of Columbia
$48,250
$59,910
Connecticut
$48,090
$57,210
New York
$48,000
$49,600
New Jersey
$47,740
$50,260
Rhode Island
$47,550
$52,140
Colorado
$47,540
$48,690
Vermont
$47,500
$48,920
Oregon
$47,450
$51,740
Maine
$47,160
$49,820
Hawaii
$45,650
$50,830
Maryland
$42,830
$48,680

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Customer Service Representatives or Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive?

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive earn more nationally. The median is $44,770 for Customer Service Representatives versus $47,540 for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive, a difference of $3K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Customer Service Representatives or Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive?

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive has the better 10-year outlook at -1.6% projected growth, compared to -5.5% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Customer Service Representatives or Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive?

Customer Service Representatives typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Customer Service Representatives get paid the most?

Washington is the top-paying state for Customer Service Representatives at $50,330/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Customer Service Representatives vs. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Washington, Customer Service Representatives earn $50,330 vs. $57,330 for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Customer Service Representatives salary breakdownView →Full Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive salary breakdownView →Best cities for Customer Service Representatives by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive by take-home payExplore →How to become a customer service representativesGuide →How to become a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executiveGuide →