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Salary comparison

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

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executives out-earn Office Clerks, Generals by $3K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executives land at $47,540 and Office Clerks, Generals at $45,010. The education gap is real: secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while office clerks, general programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executives is District of Columbia ($59,910); for Office Clerks, Generals it's District of Columbia ($55,040).

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

State
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Office Clerks, General
District of Columbia
$59,910
$55,040
Massachusetts
$57,940
$49,940
Washington
$57,330
$50,500
Connecticut
$57,210
$48,280
California
$55,400
$48,460
Rhode Island
$52,140
$47,830
Oregon
$51,740
$49,910
Minnesota
$51,400
$47,840
New Jersey
$50,260
$48,570
Vermont
$48,920
$48,310
Colorado
$48,690
$53,550
Maryland
$48,680
$47,270
Alaska
$48,530
$51,890
New Hampshire
$48,080
$49,020
North Dakota
$47,480
$50,160

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executives or Office Clerks, Generals?

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executives earn more nationally. The median is $47,540 for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executives versus $45,010 for Office Clerks, Generals, a difference of $3K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive or Office Clerks, General?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

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

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

Where do Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executives get paid the most?

District of Columbia is the top-paying state for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executives at $59,910/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

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

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

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