National Salary Info » Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

Highest Paying Industries for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

The top 100 highest paying industries for secretaries and administrative assistants (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $58,020, securities and commodity exchanges is the highest paying industry for secretaries and administrative assistants. It is followed by postal service (federal government) industry (average annual salary $55,560). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of secretaries and administrative assistants in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Securities and Commodity Exchanges	$58,020	$32,690	350
2	Postal Service (federal government)	$55,560	$52,330	890
3	Monetary Authorities-Central Bank	$53,950	$35,960	660
4	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$51,890	$32,000	5,980
5	Tobacco Manufacturing	$51,330	$31,100	120
6	Wired Telecommunications Carriers	$51,040	$31,070	9,700
7	Natural Gas Distribution	$50,840	$30,230	2,260
8	Rail Transportation	$50,130	$26,840	1,320
9	Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	$49,150	$31,170	2,490
10	Telecommunications	$49,130	$28,450	13,750
11	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	$49,060	$28,620	3,610
12	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Local government owned	$48,660	$32,640	2,860
13	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$48,580	$29,590	22,970
14	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$48,410	$31,410	8,170
15	Federal government, including USPS	$48,310	$37,950	18,890
16	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$48,270	$29,300	6,640
17	Other Information Services	$48,250	$27,860	3,560
18	Scientific Research and Development Services	$48,150	$29,370	26,910
19	Software Publishers	$48,100	$29,550	4,900
20	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$48,090	$29,190	14,810
21	Cable and Other Subscription Programming	$47,930	$30,310	n/a
22	Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media	$47,350	$27,770	180
23	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$47,290	$37,850	18,000
24	Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage	$47,010	$27,960	23,360
25	Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite)	$46,810	$27,730	2,470
26	Utilities	$46,320	$26,650	12,700
27	Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	$46,280	$27,540	540
28	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$46,180	$28,520	4,910
29	Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities	$46,070	$26,140	66,230
30	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$45,910	$27,650	93,670
31	Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities	$45,870	$28,370	3,940
32	Other Investment Pools and Funds	$45,770	$25,900	n/a
33	Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles	$45,660	$26,500	800
34	Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds	$45,540	$27,250	n/a
35	Other Financial Investment Activities	$45,450	$25,430	42,520
36	Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing	$45,370	$28,260	400
37	Communications Equipment Manufacturing	$45,140	$28,130	1,490
38	Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	$44,800	$27,880	10,070
39	Metal Ore Mining	$44,660	$32,380	320
40	Insurance Carriers	$44,590	$26,680	33,590
41	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$44,580	$25,710	12,360
42	Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services	$44,340	$25,690	4,570
43	Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing	$44,280	$27,030	1,020
44	Footwear Manufacturing	$43,940	$26,080	100
45	Depository Credit Intermediation	$43,700	$27,020	34,280
46	Information	$43,550	$25,150	53,990
47	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$43,430	$24,420	36,770
48	Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers	$43,360	$25,300	14,880
49	Credit Intermediation and Related Activities	$43,150	$25,940	54,040
50	Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	$43,020	$27,090	730
51	Chemical Manufacturing	$42,900	$26,500	12,200
52	Scheduled Air Transportation	$42,810	$27,160	1,950
53	Oil and Gas Extraction	$42,720	$24,540	7,780
54	Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation	$42,660	$24,880	1,020
55	Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$42,580	$24,850	320
56	Nondepository Credit Intermediation	$42,480	$23,920	13,350
57	Sound Recording Industries	$42,360	$23,160	880
58	Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations	$42,340	$18,950	11,580
59	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	$42,330	$26,470	670
60	Air Transportation	$42,290	$26,570	2,600
61	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$41,920	$27,040	2,210
62	Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas	$41,610	$22,870	850
63	Finance and Insurance	$41,520	$23,770	212,920
64	Publishing Industries (except Internet)	$41,510	$23,790	16,150
65	Engineering Services	$41,340	$25,410	36,060
66	Activities Related to Credit Intermediation	$41,140	$24,450	6,400
67	Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services	$41,130	$24,740	16,730
68	Ship and Boat Building	$41,050	$25,380	1,230
69	Household Appliance Manufacturing	$40,850	$27,590	480
70	Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries	$40,830	$24,670	6,510
71	Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers	$40,770	$23,240	4,000
72	Satellite Telecommunications	$40,640	$17,740	220
73	Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing	$40,610	$23,370	740
74	Motion Picture and Video Industries	$40,550	$24,870	5,630
75	Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing	$40,540	$25,280	460
76	Hardware Manufacturing	$40,510	$28,390	270
77	Nonscheduled Air Transportation	$40,490	$25,200	650
78	Paper Manufacturing	$40,460	$24,990	2,260
79	Glass and Glass Product Manufacturing	$40,430	$24,000	520
80	Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing	$40,390	$24,780	710
81	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$40,360	$25,380	175,280
82	Television Broadcasting	$40,360	$25,780	5,150
83	Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	$40,290	$25,370	1,060
84	Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation	$40,280	$23,230	9,510
85	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$40,260	$25,770	80,150
86	Specialty hospitals - State government owned	$40,170	$29,320	2,340
87	Water Transportation	$40,160	$23,630	1,380
88	Couriers and Express Delivery Services	$40,120	$24,330	2,690
89	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$40,100	$25,720	301,230
90	Federal, State, and Local Government	$40,100	$25,720	301,230
91	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	$40,060	$25,900	3,450
92	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$40,030	$24,140	56,510
93	Legal Services	$39,930	$24,760	241,570
94	Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	$39,860	$23,100	200
95	Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing	$39,800	$26,090	1,580
96	Grantmaking and Giving Services	$39,770	$25,300	12,180
97	Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works)	$39,680	$20,690	1,800
98	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$39,480	$23,910	1,410
99	Converted Paper Product Manufacturing	$39,430	$24,700	1,590
100	Electrical Equipment Manufacturing	$39,420	$25,870	1,450