Studying Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant & Medical Secretary covers Medical Administrative/executive Assistant And Medical Secretary. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Perform The Duties Of Special Assistants And Personal Secretaries For Practicing Physicians And Nurses, Health Care Facilities And Services Administrators, And Other Health Care Professionals. Includes Instruction In Business And Medical Communications, Medical Terminology, Principles Of Health Care Operations, Public Relations And Interpersonal Communications, Software Applications, Record-Keeping And Filing Systems, Scheduling And Meeting Planning, Applicable Policy And Regulations, And Professional Standards And Ethics. Examples: [Dental Secretary], [Veterinary Secretary], [Veterinary Office Administration]. Read on to learn the important information every medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary programs.
Nationwide, medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary is a widely-pursued major, with 7,771 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant & Medical Secretary Schools ranking analyzes these 236 schools to determine the best overall colleges for medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary programs later in this article.
Studies in Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant & Medical Secretary develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary graduates commonly enter.
The skill set developed in a medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 2,371 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 3,322 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 2,065 |
People currently working in careers related to medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 47.6% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 26.0% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 19.9% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 5.3% |
| Some college courses | 1.2% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary prepares you for a variety of career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 1,326,215 | 6.9% |
The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $36,041 |
| 4 years | $36,054 |
| 5 years | $40,847 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | $61,212 |
With 236 different medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary school rankings to help you.
Students interested in medical administrative/executive assistant & medical secretary, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.