Similar to the role played by any secretary in an establishment, a medical secretary performs similar duties. However, the discrepancies lie in the environment in which this individual operates. A medical secretary is an individual who manages the routine tasks of a medical or health facility. These individuals may greet you upon sight or may well be working behind closed doors out of sight. In regards to income, the average medical secretary salary in the United States is $33k and is likely to grow as the career is expected to grow 36% over the next decade.
Contents
- 1 Average Medical Secretary Salary by Percentiles
- 2 Top Paying Industries for Medical Secretaries
- 3 Highest Paying States for Medical Secretaries
- 4 Lowest Medical Secretary Paying States
- 5 Top Metropolitan Cities for Medical Secretary Wages
- 6 Top Paying Non-Metropolitan Areas for Medical Secretaries
- 7 Highest Medical Secretary Employment Level by States
- 8 Job Outlook
- 9 Medical Secretary Requirements
- 10 Medical Secretary Job Description
Average Medical Secretary Salary by Percentiles
The range of average medical secretary salaries by percentile is $22k and $46k. When you’re new to the field, you can expect a starting salary in the lower percentiles due to the fact that you lack the experience of secretaries you’re competing against. There are other factors involved, including location and certification, but generally speaking, you’ll make about $25k a year starting out.
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $10.67 | $12.69 | $15.34 | $18.37 | $22.31 |
| Weekly Wage | $427 | $508 | $613 | $735 | $892 |
| Monthly Salary | $1,850 | $2,200 | $2,658 | $3,183 | $3,867 |
| Annual Salary | $22,200 | $26,400 | $31,900 | $38,200 | $46,400 |
Top Paying Industries for Medical Secretaries
The absolute best industry to be a medical secretary is with corporations. This is basically the only industry that the medical secretary salary averages close to $70k per year, or $33 an hour wage. At second is the Health and Personal Care Stores at $60k annually.
| Rank | Industries | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $33.27 | $1,331 | $5,767 | $69,200 | 4,000 |
| 2 | Health and Personal Care Stores | $28.85 | $1,154 | $5,000 | $60,000 | 1,200 |
| 3 | Consumer Goods Rental | $18.56 | $742 | $3,217 | $38,600 | N/A |
| 4 | Colleges, universities, and professional schools, Privately owned | $18.41 | $737 | $3,192 | $38,300 | 1,000 |
| 5 | Rental and Leasing Services | $18.37 | $735 | $3,183 | $38,200 | N/A |
| 6 | Educational Services, Privately owned | $18.32 | $733 | $3,175 | $38,100 | 1,000 |
| 7 | Offices of Dentists | $18.08 | $723 | $3,133 | $37,600 | 75,000 |
| 8 | Insurance Carriers | $17.98 | $719 | $3,117 | $37,400 | 300 |
| 9 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $17.79 | $712 | $3,083 | $37,000 | 400 |
| 10 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $17.79 | $712 | $3,083 | $37,000 | 400 |
Highest Paying States for Medical Secretaries
New Jersey, Washington, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, and California were the top paying states for medical secretaries with salaries of about $38k – $40k annually. For an detailed list, go to our comparison table of medical secretary salary by state.
| Rank | Salaries by States | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $19.13 | $765 | $3,317 | $39,800 | 14,000 |
| 2 | Washington | $18.99 | $760 | $3,292 | $39,500 | 11,000 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $18.85 | $754 | $3,267 | $39,200 | 1,000 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $18.51 | $740 | $3,208 | $38,500 | 21,000 |
| 5 | California | $18.41 | $737 | $3,192 | $38,300 | 68,000 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $18.41 | $737 | $3,192 | $38,300 | 8,000 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $18.17 | $727 | $3,150 | $37,800 | 4,000 |
| 8 | Alaska | $17.88 | $715 | $3,100 | $37,200 | 1,000 |
| 9 | New York | $17.45 | $698 | $3,025 | $36,300 | 11,000 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $17.45 | $698 | $3,025 | $36,300 | 3,000 |
Lowest Medical Secretary Paying States
If you landed on this page, then the salary of medical secretaries is important to you. With that said, it’s great to know which states rank at the bottom for lowest wages and salaries. The #1 state for the worse income is West Virginia at $27k, or about $13 an hour. West Virginia was followed closely by Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Kentucky, all which have salaries below $29k.
| Rank | Salaries by States | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | $13.03 | $521 | $2,258 | $27,100 | 1,000 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $13.61 | $544 | $2,358 | $28,300 | 3,000 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | $13.75 | $550 | $2,383 | $28,600 | 7,000 |
| 4 | Kentucky | $13.80 | $552 | $2,392 | $28,700 | 6,000 |
| 5 | Arkansas | $13.80 | $552 | $2,392 | $28,700 | 3,000 |
| 6 | Mississippi | $13.89 | $556 | $2,408 | $28,900 | 1,000 |
| 7 | Alabama | $14.09 | $563 | $2,442 | $29,300 | 5,000 |
| 8 | Tennessee | $14.09 | $563 | $2,442 | $29,300 | 5,000 |
| 9 | Kansas | $14.23 | $569 | $2,467 | $29,600 | 2,000 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $14.28 | $571 | $2,475 | $29,700 | 4,000 |
Top Metropolitan Cities for Medical Secretary Wages
Medical secretaries were paid the highest in the Bay Area of California at $44k annual salary. The next major cities were Oakland, Fremont, and Hayword in California with an average salary of $43k.
| Rank | Metropolitan Cities | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA | $21.20 | $848 | $3,675 | $44,100 | 5,000 |
| 2 | Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA | $20.87 | $835 | $3,617 | $43,400 | 5,000 |
| 3 | New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ | $20.53 | $821 | $3,558 | $42,700 | 8,000 |
| 4 | Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA | $20.34 | $813 | $3,525 | $42,300 | 5,000 |
| 5 | Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA | $19.81 | $792 | $3,433 | $41,200 | 7,000 |
| 6 | Newark-Union, NJ-PA | $19.76 | $790 | $3,425 | $41,100 | 4,000 |
| 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA | $19.28 | $771 | $3,342 | $40,100 | 10,000 |
| 8 | Tacoma, WA | $19.09 | $763 | $3,308 | $39,700 | 1,000 |
| 9 | Taunton-Norton-Raynham, MA | $18.75 | $750 | $3,250 | $39,000 | 200 |
| 10 | Framingham, MA | $18.70 | $748 | $3,242 | $38,900 | 900 |
Top Paying Non-Metropolitan Areas for Medical Secretaries
At a distant #1 is the suburban areas of Nantucket Island and Martha’s Vineyard with an hourly wage of over $21, or nearly $44k per year.
| Rank | Non-Metropolitan Areas | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard | $21.06 | $842 | $3,650 | $43,800 | 50 |
| 2 | Eastern Sierra Region of California | $18.99 | $760 | $3,292 | $39,500 | 50 |
| 3 | Western Central Nevada | $18.85 | $754 | $3,267 | $39,200 | 100 |
| 4 | Northern Mountains Region of California | $18.70 | $748 | $3,242 | $38,900 | 300 |
| 5 | Southeast Alaska | $18.27 | $731 | $3,167 | $38,000 | 80 |
| 6 | Central Washington | $18.03 | $721 | $3,125 | $37,500 | 200 |
| 7 | Mother Lode Region of California | $17.50 | $700 | $3,033 | $36,400 | 300 |
| 8 | Eastern Connecticut | $17.50 | $700 | $3,033 | $36,400 | 30 |
| 9 | Northwestern Washington | $17.36 | $694 | $3,008 | $36,100 | 200 |
| 10 | Southwestern Washington | $17.31 | $692 | $3,000 | $36,000 | 200 |
Highest Medical Secretary Employment Level by States
The top two states to become a medical secretary are Texas and California, which have 78k and 68k professionals, respectively. Ohio, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania completed the list of states with the highest number of opportunities.
| Rank | States | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $14.47 | $579 | $2,508 | $30,100 | 78,000 |
| 2 | California | $18.41 | $737 | $3,192 | $38,300 | 68,000 |
| 3 | Ohio | $14.62 | $585 | $2,533 | $30,400 | 39,000 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $18.51 | $740 | $3,208 | $38,500 | 21,000 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $15.14 | $606 | $2,625 | $31,500 | 20,000 |
| 6 | Arizona | $15.10 | $604 | $2,617 | $31,400 | 18,000 |
| 7 | Florida | $14.52 | $581 | $2,517 | $30,200 | 18,000 |
| 8 | Missouri | $14.81 | $592 | $2,567 | $30,800 | 16,000 |
| 9 | Oregon | $16.54 | $662 | $2,867 | $34,400 | 15,000 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $19.13 | $765 | $3,317 | $39,800 | 14,000 |
Job Outlook
There were a whopping 526,000 medical secretary professionals in 2012 and that number is expected to grow in 2013 and 2014. By 2022 and 2023, there will be over 715,000 medical secretaries in the US. This growth of 36% far outweighs the 12% in other secretarial roles and 11% on all jobs. Based on the numbers and trends, this is a great career to get into over at least the next decade.
| Employment Projections Data Medical Secretaries, 2012-2022 | |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2012 | 525,600 |
| Projected Employment, 2022 | 714,900 |
| Employment Difference: | 189,300 |
| Medical Secretary | 36% |
| Secretaries and administrative assistants | 12% |
| Office and administrative support occupations | 7% |
| Total, All Occupations | 11% |
Source: Bureau of Labor and Statistics
Medical Secretary Requirements
The majority of medical secretaries have at least a high school education and some experience with regards to the operation of offices and computer skills. However, the position of a medical secretary in some cases requires more credentials or even a higher form of education.
Those who wish to serve in this area need a certificate or an associate degree from an accredited institution. Most programs offering certificates are customarily completed in a year or less. Individuals can obtain their certifications through an International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). If you are a medical secretary but wish to make further improvements to your career, you can opt to become certified through the American Association of Medical Assistants.
In most respects, an employer is less hesitant in hiring an individual with an associate’s degree for a medical secretary position. By enrolling in a 2-year program, an individual would have acquired the requisite information and knowledge of the human’s anatomy, office technology, medical offices, machine transcription, and office management skills.
Medical Secretary Job Description
A medical secretary performs several job functions.
Administrative Duties
Common administrative duties include:
- Utilizing computer applications such as Word Processor and Spreadsheet
- Manning the telephone
- Greeting patients when they do arrive to see the doctor
- Synchronizing and filing medical records of patients
- Completing and coding forms for insurance
- Setting up appointments for patients to see the doctor
- Organizing admissions and lab services for the hospital
- Book keeping, billing and correspondence managing
Clinical Duties
Common clinical duties include:
- Obtaining medical history
- Explaining the different medical procedures and treatments to patients
- Getting clients ready for an examination
- Helping the Physician during his examinations
- Gathering and preparing samples for the lab
- Performing simple tests in the lab
- Providing instructions to patients with regards to special dieting and medications to be used
- Preparing and regulating medications as instructed by the Physician to patients
- Authorizing the refilling of prescriptions when directed to do so
- Drawing blood samples from a patient when required
- Performs electrocardiograms
In addition to the aforementioned educational requirements and responsibilities of a medical secretary, they are also expected to have great written and communication skills and they should be able to employ proper time management and organization techniques in order to get things done on time. Even though this particular secretary does provide administrative assistance to a doctor, they are distinguished or identified from other secretaries as a result of their clinical duties.
Understanding job requirements, duties, profession outlook, and medical secretary salary by state will help you consider all of these factors before making a decision on pursuing this career. There are many healthcare careers that you may want to consider, as well. Factoring all of these in, we that you can more easily choose that perfect career.