Jetted FoxCareers · Office & admin
Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
You run the front desk and paperwork of a doctor's office or clinic. No college degree needed.
Start now · paid while you train
Starting pay ranges from about $15.02/hr in Mississippi to $23.32/hr in Washington.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $14.37–16.25/hr | $17.76/hr |
| Alaska | $17.42–21.06/hr | $23.02/hr |
| Arizona | $16.28–18.79/hr | $22.03/hr |
| Arkansas | $15.24–16.77/hr | $17.79/hr |
| California | $19.54–22.40/hr | $26.20/hr |
| Colorado | $18.32–19.80/hr | $22.56/hr |
| Connecticut | $19.41–22.30/hr | $23.32/hr |
| Delaware | $17.50–18.58/hr | $21.39/hr |
| Florida | $17.26–18.06/hr | $20.06/hr |
| Georgia | $16.57–17.75/hr | $20.75/hr |
| Hawaii | $18.63–22.01/hr | $24/hr |
| Idaho | $17–18.22/hr | $21.60/hr |
| Illinois | $18–19.39/hr | $22.44/hr |
| Indiana | $17.30–18.29/hr | $21.18/hr |
| Iowa | $16.94–18.06/hr | $19.70/hr |
| Kansas | $17.11–18.21/hr | $20.68/hr |
| Kentucky | $14.76–17.28/hr | $18.63/hr |
| Louisiana | $14.47–16.48/hr | $17.75/hr |
| Maine | $19.09–21.13/hr | $22.59/hr |
| Maryland | $18.30–20.84/hr | $23/hr |
| Massachusetts | $19.93–22.83/hr | $24.18/hr |
| Michigan | $17.47–18.24/hr | $19.76/hr |
| Minnesota | $20.86–23.13/hr | $24.06/hr |
| Mississippi | $14.37–15.02/hr | $17.45/hr |
| Missouri | $17.08–18/hr | $21.14/hr |
| Montana | $17.30–18.55/hr | $21.03/hr |
| Nebraska | $18.32–19.68/hr | $22.17/hr |
| Nevada | $17.68–19.18/hr | $22.59/hr |
| New Hampshire | $18.96–21.65/hr | $23.27/hr |
| New Jersey | $18.42–21.19/hr | $23.39/hr |
| New Mexico | $17.41–18.54/hr | $21.27/hr |
| New York | $18.48–21.23/hr | $22.94/hr |
| North Carolina | $17.25–18.24/hr | $21.24/hr |
| North Dakota | $18–18.96/hr | $21.82/hr |
| Ohio | $17.66–18.61/hr | $21.29/hr |
| Oklahoma | $14.77–17.09/hr | $18.43/hr |
| Oregon | $19.19–22.36/hr | $24.10/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $17.44–19/hr | $21.60/hr |
| Rhode Island | $19.54–21.99/hr | $22.53/hr |
| South Carolina | $16.72–17.76/hr | $19.31/hr |
| South Dakota | $18.88–21.14/hr | $22.03/hr |
| Tennessee | $15.37–17.46/hr | $19.20/hr |
| Texas | $15.91–17.87/hr | $20.63/hr |
| Utah | $16.59–17.98/hr | $21.31/hr |
| Vermont | $19.24–21.71/hr | $23.17/hr |
| Virginia | $17.88–18.99/hr | $22.20/hr |
| Washington | $21.63–23.32/hr | $27.93/hr |
| Washington, DC | $21.83–22.56/hr | $23.64/hr |
| West Virginia | $14.86–17.38/hr | $18.48/hr |
| Wisconsin | $19.06–22.35/hr | $23.26/hr |
| Wyoming | $17.50–18.37/hr | $21.36/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Once you're hired
A normal day
You check patients in, schedule appointments, answer phones and update medical records. You work with insurance forms and talk with doctors and nurses. Busy mornings and afternoons fill the day.
The good parts
Many openings in every town. Regular daytime hours in most clinics. A way into healthcare without patient care.
The hard parts
Busy phones and upset patients. Insurance paperwork can be confusing. Repetitive desk work.
Where it leads
medical secretaries move to office manager, medical billing and coding specialist or practice manager.
Quick answers
Do medical secretaries and administrative assistants need a college degree?
No. You can start now: paid while you train.
How long is the training for medical secretaries and administrative assistants?
1–6 months of paid training at work, or a short certificate.
How much do medical secretaries and administrative assistants make?
About $17.27–18.54 an hour to start and $22.08 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
Similar careers
Secretaries and administrative assistants · Office clerks, general
Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.