Secretary: Job Duties, Career Outlook, and Education Requirements
Research what it takes to become a secretary. Learn about secretary education requirements, salary, secretary duties, and job outlook to see if this is the right career for you.
Secretary Job Description
Secretaries manage the clerical work in offices for a wide range of businesses and organizations. You'll need to be able to schedule appointments; manage files, data, and correspondence; and do basic bookkeeping. You'll also perform other tasks needed to support the work of supervisors and staff. Secretaries need to be well-organized and have good communication skills, as well as some computer skills.
The following chart gives you an overview of what you need to become a secretary
<table border="1"><tr><td><b>Degree Required</b> </td><td> High school diploma<br/> Postsecondary training and certificate for some jobs<br/> Bachelor's degree for executive secretary positions</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Education Field of Study</b></td><td> Office administration, secretarial science</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Certification</b></td><td> Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) certification voluntary, but helpful</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Key Skills</b></td><td> Clerical skills, organizational skills, computer skills, communication skills</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Job Growth (2020-2030)</b></td><td> -7% for all secretaries and administrative assistants; 11% for medical secretaries*</td></tr>
<tr><td><b> Average Salary (2020)</b></td><td> $40,420 (secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive)*</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics </i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatAreASecretarySDuties">What Are a Secretary's Duties?</h3><p>Secretaries perform many clerical and administrative duties that are necessary to run an organization efficiently. Your secretarial duties will vary according to your specific job title. For example, as an executive secretary, you'd perform few clerical duties and instead, focus on supporting high-level executives, supervising office staff, conducting research, and arranging meetings. If you become a medical secretary, you'll create medical histories for patients and transcribe medical reports. As a legal secretary, you'd prepare legal documentation such as subpoenas and motions.
</p><p>In general, secretaries perform duties such as:
</p><ul><li>Organizing paperwork and electronic files
</li><li>Managing projects
</li><li>Arranging meetings
</li><li>Conducting research
</li><li>Communicating through phone, mail, and e-mail
</li><li>Creating spreadsheets
</li><li>Developing presentations or reports
</li><li>Composing correspondence
</li><li>Managing databases
</li><li>Purchasing supplies
</li><li>Managing stockrooms
</li><li>Greeting visitors
</li><li>Handling travel arrangements
</li></ul><h3 id="section---WhatIsTheCareerOutlook">What Is the Career Outlook?</h3><p>According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of secretaries and administrative assistants was projected to decline 7% between 2020 and 2030. This is due to the emergence of technologies that enable staff to manage and handle their own documents, without needing secretarial assistance.
</p><p>Employment of <a href="https://learn.org/articles/Online_Medical_Secretary_Courses_and_Schools.html">medical secretaries</a>, however, is expected to grow 11% between 2020 and 2030. This is much faster than the average growth of all occupations, and is due to the aging baby boomer population and their need for medical services. Medical secretaries will thus be required to handle much of a medical facility's administrative paperwork, such as billing and insurance.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatDegreeDoYouNeedToBeASecretary">What Degree Do You Need to Be a Secretary?</h3><p>A degree is not mandatory for this profession, as high school diplomas are considered to be the minimum educational requirement. However, you may want to consider enrolling in a formal training program. Most organizations prefer to hire employees who have completed 1- or 2-year office administration programs at vocational schools or community colleges. These programs typically result in certificates or associate's degrees. You might receive instruction in areas such as bookkeeping, Windows applications, Word, Excel, administrative office procedures, and written communications. However, for some secretarial specialties, such as medical or legal, you may need to complete a more specialized training program.
</p><p>If you do not complete a formal training program, your employer may provide on-the-job training. Some temporary employment agencies may also offer training. After training, you can apply for certification through the International Association of Administrative Professionals, or, if you are a legal secretary, the National Association of Legal Secretaries (NALS), Inc. Certifying organizations may offer different levels of certification, which can be earned by passing examinations and meeting other requirements. As a secretary, you may need to participate in continuing education to keep up with changes in office automation, new technologies, and software programs.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatAreSomeSimilarProfessionsToASecretary">What Are Some Similar Professions to a Secretary?</h3><p>People who have good organizational, math, and computer skills may also become bookkeeping clerks, with only some postsecondary education required. These professionals produce and check financial records. Another career that requires only a high school diploma is that of information clerks. Information clerks maintain records and collect data in many industries, including healthcare and hospitality.</p>