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Salary comparison

Office Clerks, General vs. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive: Who Earns More?

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive out-earn Office Clerks, General by $3K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Office Clerks, General land at $45,010 and Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive at $47,540. The education gap is real: office clerks, general 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 Office Clerks, General is District of Columbia ($55,040); for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive it's District of Columbia ($59,910).

Office Clerks, General
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Median salary
$45,010
$47,540
Hourly rate
$21.64/hr
$22.86/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$30,310
$33,280
Senior level (90th %)
$64,680
$66,350
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
2,464,940
1,706,790
Job growth (10-year)
-6.7%
-1.6%
Category
Office & Admin
Office & Admin
Top-paying state
District of Columbia
District of Columbia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Office Clerks, General median pay.

State
Office Clerks, General
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
District of Columbia
$55,040
$59,910
Colorado
$53,550
$48,690
Washington
$50,500
$57,330
Massachusetts
$49,940
$57,940
Oregon
$49,910
$51,740
New Jersey
$48,570
$50,260
California
$48,460
$55,400
Vermont
$48,310
$48,920
Connecticut
$48,280
$57,210
Minnesota
$47,840
$51,400
Rhode Island
$47,830
$52,140
Maryland
$47,270
$48,680
New York
$45,890
$49,600
Maine
$45,300
$49,820
Hawaii
$42,340
$50,830

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Office Clerks, General 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 $45,010 for Office Clerks, General 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, Office Clerks, General 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 -6.7% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Office Clerks, General or Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive?

Office Clerks, General 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 Office Clerks, General get paid the most?

District of Columbia is the top-paying state for Office Clerks, General at $55,040/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Office Clerks, General vs. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In District of Columbia, Office Clerks, General earn $55,040 vs. $59,910 for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Office Clerks, General salary breakdownView →Full Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive salary breakdownView →Best cities for Office Clerks, General by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive by take-home payExplore →How to become a office clerks, generalGuide →How to become a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executiveGuide →