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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Occupational Requirements Survey > Publications > Factsheets

Medical secretaries and administrative assistants

Woman pulling out a medical record from shelves of records 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.

For terms and definitions in this profile, see definitions of major terms.

Cognitive and mental requirements

The qualifications that workers need to use judgment, make decisions, interact with others, and adapt to changes in jobs.

In 2025, external verbal interactions were required constantly (every few minutes) for 68.0 percent of medical secretaries and administrative assistants. External verbal interactions were required more than once per hour (but not constantly) for 25.1 percent.

Table 1. Percentage of medical secretaries and administrative assistants with cognitive and mental requirements, 2025
Requirement	Yes	No
Work schedule varies	27.2	72.8
Ability to pause work (and take brief unscheduled breaks)	44.9	55.1
Working around crowds	<0.5	>99.5
Telework routinely allowed	3.2	96.8
Supervising others	1.3	98.7
Supervisor present in immediate work area	83.8	16.2
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey

Education, training, and experience requirements

The minimum level of formal education required, credentials necessary, on-the-job training, and prior work experience necessary for average performance in jobs. The time associated with these requirements is combined to calculate the specific vocational preparation level needed for the job.

In 2025, prior work experience was required for 39.5 percent of medical secretaries and administrative assistants and on-the-job training was required for 96.1 percent.

A high school diploma was required for 90.2 percent of medical secretaries and administrative assistants.

Environmental conditions

The various hazards or difficulties that are in the area where workers perform their critical tasks.

In 2025, a quiet noise exposure was present for 12.7 percent of medical secretaries and administrative assistants. Another 87.3 percent were exposed to moderate noise, less than 0.5 percent were exposed to loud noise, and less than 0.5 percent to very loud noise. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was used by less than 0.5 percent of workers to mitigate noise exposure and was not used by greater than 99.5 percent.

Physical demands

The physical activities required to perform tasks in jobs. The presence and, in some cases, duration of these activities are published.

In 2025, speaking was required for greater than 99.5 percent of medical secretaries and administrative assistants and was not required for less than 0.5 percent. For less than 0.5 percent of workers, speaking was seldom required, for 33.3 percent speaking was occasionally required, for 66.3 percent speaking was frequently required, and for less than 0.5 percent speaking was required constantly.

Performing work in low postures was required for 16.0 percent of medical secretaries and administrative assistants and was not required for 84.0 percent.

The choice to sit or stand when performing critical tasks was available to 70.7 percent of medical secretaries and administrative assistants. On average, workers spent 87.9 percent of the workday sitting and 12.1 percent of the workday standing.

Table 2. Percentage of medical secretaries and administrative assistants with physical demands, 2025
Requirement	Yes	No
Ability to choose to sit or stand for tasks	70.7	29.3
Driving	<5	>95
Climbing structure-related ramps or stairs	7.1	92.9
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey