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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2017

43-6013 Medical Secretaries

Perform secretarial duties using specific knowledge of medical terminology and hospital, clinic, or laboratory procedures. Duties may include scheduling appointments, billing patients, and compiling and recording medical charts, reports, and correspondence.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
576,520 0.8 % $17.25 $35,870 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $11.66 $13.70 $16.64 $19.94 $24.20
Annual Wage (2) $24,240 $28,490 $34,610 $41,460 $50,340


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Physicians 177,680 6.97 $16.71 $34,760
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 147,740 2.68 $17.46 $36,310
Offices of Dentists 84,330 9.05 $19.05 $39,630
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 50,810 5.80 $15.54 $32,330
Outpatient Care Centers 32,400 3.68 $17.22 $35,820

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Dentists 84,330 9.05 $19.05 $39,630
Offices of Physicians 177,680 6.97 $16.71 $34,760
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 50,810 5.80 $15.54 $32,330
Outpatient Care Centers 32,400 3.68 $17.22 $35,820
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 8,110 3.12 $18.41 $38,290

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 540 0.08 $20.57 $42,780
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 130 0.01 $20.53 $42,710
Personal Care Services 40 0.01 $20.17 $41,960
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 130 0.01 $19.92 $41,430
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 6,320 0.21 $19.57 $40,710


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 103,630 8.71 2.15 $15.89 $33,050
California 77,170 4.62 1.14 $19.53 $40,630
Ohio 34,390 6.40 1.58 $15.88 $33,020
Michigan 25,830 6.04 1.49 $16.57 $34,470
Massachusetts 24,440 6.93 1.71 $20.69 $43,030




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Delaware 4,000 9.03 2.23 $17.36 $36,120
Texas 103,630 8.71 2.15 $15.89 $33,050
Oregon 13,990 7.64 1.89 $18.63 $38,740
Massachusetts 24,440 6.93 1.71 $20.69 $43,030
Ohio 34,390 6.40 1.58 $15.88 $33,020




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 1,600 2.26 0.56 $22.32 $46,420
Massachusetts 24,440 6.93 1.71 $20.69 $43,030
Connecticut 4,190 2.53 0.63 $20.50 $42,630
Alaska 1,180 3.72 0.92 $20.31 $42,240
New Jersey 11,870 2.96 0.73 $20.11 $41,830



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Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 27,510 9.39 2.32 $16.87 $35,090
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 20,580 8.26 2.04 $16.14 $33,580
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 19,310 4.36 1.08 $18.60 $38,680
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division 14,300 7.77 1.92 $21.48 $44,680
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 10,260 1.53 0.38 $21.02 $43,720
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 9,950 3.80 0.94 $16.56 $34,440
Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Division 9,000 9.06 2.24 $16.69 $34,710
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 8,980 4.53 1.12 $17.44 $36,270
St. Louis, MO-IL 8,500 6.26 1.55 $16.48 $34,280
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 8,390 8.36 2.07 $15.75 $32,760


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Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Rochester, MN 1,970 17.20 4.25 $20.12 $41,860
Tyler, TX 1,520 15.11 3.74 $14.62 $30,400
Corvallis, OR 520 14.42 3.56 $17.78 $36,990
Grants Pass, OR 330 13.39 3.31 $17.03 $35,420
Victoria, TX 510 12.69 3.14 $14.69 $30,540
Wichita Falls, TX 660 11.72 2.90 $16.49 $34,310
Medford, OR 960 11.40 2.82 $17.21 $35,800
Amarillo, TX 1,280 11.15 2.76 $14.39 $29,930
Bay City, MI 380 11.07 2.74 $16.15 $33,580
Sherman-Denison, TX 500 11.03 2.73 $17.05 $35,460


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Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division 3,310 2.97 0.73 $24.32 $50,580
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 5,680 5.22 1.29 $24.05 $50,020
New Haven, CT 750 2.76 0.68 $22.79 $47,390
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 680 4.98 1.23 $22.76 $47,340
Salinas, CA 580 3.40 0.84 $22.56 $46,930
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 500 4.29 1.06 $22.22 $46,210
Fairbanks, AK 80 2.13 0.53 $22.07 $45,910
San Rafael, CA Metropolitan Division 550 4.77 1.18 $22.03 $45,830
Napa, CA 340 4.63 1.15 $22.00 $45,760
Santa Rosa, CA 920 4.55 1.12 $21.94 $45,630

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 2,480 9.19 2.27 $13.35 $27,760
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 2,130 6.43 1.59 $13.87 $28,850
Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 1,460 7.56 1.87 $14.43 $30,020
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 1,120 4.04 1.00 $15.92 $33,110
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 1,110 4.38 1.08 $15.35 $31,930

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 690 10.73 2.65 $18.50 $38,480
Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area 630 10.54 2.61 $17.49 $36,380
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 2,480 9.19 2.27 $13.35 $27,760
Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area 610 8.76 2.17 $16.22 $33,740
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 1,040 8.55 2.11 $16.03 $33,350

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 80 4.51 1.12 $22.16 $46,090
Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area 90 1.26 0.31 $21.06 $43,790
Southwest Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 40 4.88 1.21 $20.16 $41,940
Southwest Washington nonmetropolitan area 100 1.47 0.36 $20.11 $41,820
Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 360 8.48 2.10 $19.72 $41,020


About May 2017 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018