Statewide occupation search

Sort your search results or select and compare details of two occupations. Find out if an occupation is in demand or not in demand in your local area, at Learn about an occupation.

Statewide occupation search

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they do.

Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.

Related: Administrative Services Managers Executive Secretaries & Executive Administrative Assistants Legal Secretaries & Administrative Assistants Medical Secretaries & Administrative Assistants Office Clerks, General

Industries: Education Health & Counseling Service Government

Summary
Details

Train and assist staff with computer usage.
Provide services to customers, such as order placement or account information.
Arrange conference, meeting, or travel reservations for office personnel.
Compose, type, and distribute meeting notes, routine correspondence, or reports, such as presentations or expense, statistical, or monthly reports.
Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
Open, read, route, and distribute incoming mail or other materials and answer routine letters.
Make copies of correspondence or other printed material.
Develop or maintain internal or external company Web sites.
Open, read, route, and distribute incoming mail or other materials and answer routine letters.
Learn to operate new office technologies as they are developed and implemented.
Mail newsletters, promotional material, or other information.
Complete forms in accordance with company procedures.
Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
Operate office equipment, such as fax machines, copiers, or phone systems and arrange for repairs when equipment malfunctions.
Compose, type, and distribute meeting notes, routine correspondence, or reports, such as presentations or expense, statistical, or monthly reports.
Compose, type, and distribute meeting notes, routine correspondence, or reports, such as presentations or expense, statistical, or monthly reports.
Conduct searches to find needed information, using such sources as the Internet.
Locate and attach appropriate files to incoming correspondence requiring replies.
Order and dispense supplies.
Establish work procedures or schedules and keep track of the daily work of clerical staff.
Set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, recording information, updating paperwork, or maintaining documents, such as attendance records, correspondence, or other material.
Set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, recording information, updating paperwork, or maintaining documents, such as attendance records, correspondence, or other material.
Operate electronic mail systems and coordinate the flow of information, internally or with other organizations.
Maintain scheduling and event calendars.
Answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or transfer calls to appropriate individuals.
Create, maintain, and enter information into databases.
Review work done by others to check for correct spelling and grammar, ensure that company format policies are followed, and recommend revisions.
Prepare conference or event materials, such as flyers or invitations.
Arrange conference, meeting, or travel reservations for office personnel.
Supervise other clerical staff and provide training and orientation to new staff.
Manage projects or contribute to committee or team work.
Coordinate conferences, meetings, or special events, such as luncheons or graduation ceremonies.
Collect and deposit money into accounts, disburse funds from cash accounts to pay bills or invoices, keep records of collections and disbursements, and ensure accounts are balanced.
Collect and deposit money into accounts, disburse funds from cash accounts to pay bills or invoices, keep records of collections and disbursements, and ensure accounts are balanced.
Establish work procedures or schedules and keep track of the daily work of clerical staff.
Use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing.
Operate office equipment, such as fax machines, copiers, or phone systems and arrange for repairs when equipment malfunctions.
Order and dispense supplies.
Perform payroll functions, such as maintaining timekeeping information and processing and submitting payroll.
Prepare and mail checks.
Prepare and mail checks.
Schedule and confirm appointments for clients, customers, or supervisors.

Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.

Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

Less than 1 month on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

54560/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

26.23/hr

Currently Employed

43,580

Yearly Projected Openings

5460

Conventional: People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines. They do well at jobs that need:

Attention to Detail
Integrity
Cooperation
Dependability
Concern for Others
Self Control

Desktop computers
Dictation machines
Digital cameras
Laser fax machine
Mobile phones
Notebook computers
Pagers
Personal computers
Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
Photocopiers
Pocket calculator
Portable data input terminals
Scanners
Special purpose telephones

Access software
Accounting software
Analytical or scientific software
Backup or archival software
Business intelligence and data analysis software
Calendar and scheduling software
Cloud-based data access and sharing software
Cloud-based management software
Computer based training software
Content workflow software
Customer relationship management CRM software
Data base management system software
Data base reporting software
Data base user interface and query software
Data mining software
Desktop communications software
Desktop publishing software
Document management software
Electronic mail software
Enterprise application integration software
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
Enterprise system management software
Financial analysis software
Graphics or photo imaging software
Human resources software
Information retrieval or search software
Instant messaging software
Internet browser software
Medical software
Metadata management software
Mobile messaging service software
Network conferencing software
Office suite software
Operating system software
Portal server software
Presentation software
Process mapping and design software
Project management software
Spreadsheet software
Time accounting software
Transaction security and virus protection software
Transaction server software
Video conferencing software
Video creation and editing software
Voice recognition software
Web page creation and editing software
Web platform development software
Word processing software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Find Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive jobs Education and Training for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

Statewide occupation search

Statewide occupation search

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

Work Activities

Skills

Abilities

Knowledge

Education

Pay

Washington Employment Trends

Personality

Tools

Technology

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES