Mid-Level

Office Secretary

Office secretaries provide secretarial support to an office or department — handling correspondence, scheduling, document prep, and the administrative needs of the team.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
C
E
S
R
I
A
Conventionalorganizing, detail-oriented
Enterprisingleading, persuading
Based on Holland Code framework
Job markets for Office Secretarys
Employment concentration · ~393 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Office Secretary

Workdays mix standing administrative work — calendars, document prep, file maintenance — with reactive work when priorities shift. You'll often be the connective tissue. Most secretaries develop a working memory of the office's patterns — who needs what when, what the recurring deadlines are, which people prefer email and which prefer in-person.

Collaboration involves the people you support, vendors, and other internal teams. What's harder than expected is the discretion required — secretaries see sensitive information regularly and the trust that builds up over months is part of why the role works.

People who thrive tend to be organized, discreet, and proactive. If you find satisfaction in being the person who keeps things running, the role often fits. People who need credit for their work or who can't hold confidence usually struggle — secretarial work asks for both competence and discretion.

SupportAbove avg
RelationshipsModerate
Working ConditionsLower
AchievementLower
RecognitionLower
IndependenceLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Office Secretarys (SOC 43-6014.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Exploring the Office Secretary career path? Truest helps you figure out if it's the right fit — and plan your path forward.
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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$32K–$64K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
1.7M
U.S. Employment
-1.6%
10yr Growth
203K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$64K$61K$59K$56K$53K201920202021202220232024$53K$64K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

Active ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionWritingTime ManagementService OrientationMonitoringCoordinationJudgment and Decision MakingCritical Thinking
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
43-6014.00

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.