Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Office and Administrative Support
Callers and visitors come first: phones are answered, messages taken or transferred, and people at the desk are pointed to the right person. Between contacts, the job is drafting correspondence, entering information into databases, running word processing and other office software, and keeping paper and electronic files current—attendance records, letters, and similar documents. Email has to be managed so information moves inside the organization and out; copiers, fax machines, and phone systems are used daily, and repairs are arranged when they fail. Appointments for clients, customers, or supervisors get scheduled and confirmed. It suits people who like steady office routines, answering phones, and keeping files and calendars in order.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$47'540
Median Wage Market Position
$47'540
What you might do
- Take calls, leave messages, or transfer callers
- Handle visitor questions or send them to someone
- Set and confirm appointments for clients or bosses
- Create paper and electronic filing systems
- Add and update records in office databases
- Call for repairs when office machines fail
Skills that matter
- Giving callers information or taking messages
- Drafting letters and other correspondence
- Scheduling and confirming appointments
- Maintaining paper and electronic files
- Greeting visitors and directing inquiries
- Coordinating email inside and outside the office
AI & the future of this role
Scheduling, drafting routine correspondence, and organizing digital files are tasks software can increasingly handle with little oversight. Coordination that still needs judgment and interpersonal trust may remain, but much of the day-to-day clerical load looks vulnerable.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details