Jetted FoxCareers · Office & admin
Secretaries and administrative assistants
You handle the paperwork, phones and scheduling that keep an office running. No college degree needed.
Start now · no experience needed
Starting pay ranges from about $14.63/hr in Mississippi to $23.48/hr in Washington.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $14.02–17.11/hr | $20.01/hr |
| Alaska | $17–20.08/hr | $23.33/hr |
| Arizona | $17.51–19.48/hr | $23.05/hr |
| Arkansas | $13.72–15.25/hr | $18.09/hr |
| California | $18.30–22.30/hr | $26.64/hr |
| Colorado | $17.93–20.60/hr | $23.41/hr |
| Connecticut | $19.57–22.90/hr | $27.51/hr |
| Delaware | $17.28–19.34/hr | $23.06/hr |
| Florida | $16.05–18.19/hr | $22.07/hr |
| Georgia | $12.66–15.45/hr | $20/hr |
| Hawaii | $18.50–21.12/hr | $24.44/hr |
| Idaho | $14.37–17.68/hr | $21.01/hr |
| Illinois | $15.35–18.77/hr | $23.23/hr |
| Indiana | $15.01–17.72/hr | $21.29/hr |
| Iowa | $16.29–18.29/hr | $21.71/hr |
| Kansas | $14.59–17.29/hr | $20.32/hr |
| Kentucky | $14.65–17.78/hr | $21.25/hr |
| Louisiana | $12.83–15.31/hr | $18.65/hr |
| Maine | $19–21.51/hr | $23.95/hr |
| Maryland | $17–19.73/hr | $23.41/hr |
| Massachusetts | $19.96–23.15/hr | $27.86/hr |
| Michigan | $16.04–18.44/hr | $22.12/hr |
| Minnesota | $18.31–21.57/hr | $24.71/hr |
| Mississippi | $12.39–14.63/hr | $17.95/hr |
| Missouri | $14.85–17.67/hr | $20.93/hr |
| Montana | $14.63–17.89/hr | $21.13/hr |
| Nebraska | $17.26–19.09/hr | $22.48/hr |
| Nevada | $16.44–18.96/hr | $22.39/hr |
| New Hampshire | $16.53–19.66/hr | $23.12/hr |
| New Jersey | $17.38–20.77/hr | $24.16/hr |
| New Mexico | $16.28–18.36/hr | $22.33/hr |
| New York | $17.95–21.12/hr | $23.85/hr |
| North Carolina | $15.25–18.32/hr | $22.01/hr |
| North Dakota | $16.79–19.36/hr | $22.83/hr |
| Ohio | $15.45–18.35/hr | $22.22/hr |
| Oklahoma | $13.03–15.50/hr | $19.07/hr |
| Oregon | $18.50–21.85/hr | $24.88/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $15.40–18.26/hr | $22.25/hr |
| Rhode Island | $18.27–21.52/hr | $25.07/hr |
| South Carolina | $13.99–17.73/hr | $21.58/hr |
| South Dakota | $15–17.44/hr | $20.05/hr |
| Tennessee | $14.26–17.81/hr | $22.03/hr |
| Texas | $14.33–17.32/hr | $21.70/hr |
| Utah | $15.19–18.24/hr | $22.62/hr |
| Vermont | $18.91–21.32/hr | $23.52/hr |
| Virginia | $16.37–18.77/hr | $22.89/hr |
| Washington | $20.80–23.48/hr | $27.56/hr |
| Washington, DC | $18.98–22.77/hr | $28.80/hr |
| West Virginia | $13.86–16.39/hr | $19.41/hr |
| Wisconsin | $17.64–20.37/hr | $22.94/hr |
| Wyoming | $16.89–18.64/hr | $21.85/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 sit at a desk answering phones, emails and visitors, filing documents and scheduling meetings. You prepare letters and keep office supplies stocked. The day is a mix of planned tasks and interruptions.
The good parts
Many openings in every industry. Regular weekday hours. Leads to office manager and specialist roles.
The hard parts
Repetitive tasks and lots of interruptions. Sitting at a desk all day. Pay grows slowly without new skills.
Where it leads
Office supervisor (after 2–5 years). Executive assistant (after several years as an admin assistant). admin assistants move to executive assistant, office manager or HR roles.
Quick answers
Do secretaries and administrative assistants need a college degree?
No. You can start now: no experience needed.
How long is the training for secretaries and administrative assistants?
1–4 weeks of paid training at work.
How much do secretaries and administrative assistants make?
About $16–18.67 an hour to start and $22.86 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.
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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.