Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary maps to BLS occupations averaging about $64,987, with roughly 1,596,050 workers nationwide in those roles. About 2,366 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median in-state published tuition is about $5,242.
Key Statistics
Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary: what the data shows
Common questions about medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary degree?
A Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary program is classified under NCES CIP 51.0716 in the Health and Medical Administrative Services field family (51.07).
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
IPEDS counted 7,771 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 51.07 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Clinical Research Coordinator (CIP 51.0719)
- Disease Registry Data Management (CIP 51.0721)
- Health & Medical Administrative Services (CIP 51.0701)
- Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator (CIP 51.0706)
- Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0707)
- Health Unit Coordinator/Ward Clerk (CIP 51.0703)
- Health Unit Manager/Ward Supervisor (CIP 51.0704)
- Health/Medical Claims Examiner (CIP 51.0715)
- Healthcare Information Privacy Assurance and Security (CIP 51.0723)
- Healthcare Innovation (CIP 51.0722)
- Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management (CIP 51.0702)
- Long Term Care Administration/Management (CIP 51.0718)
- Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder (CIP 51.0713)
- Medical Insurance Specialist/Medical Biller (CIP 51.0714)
- Medical Office Assistant/Specialist (CIP 51.0710)
- Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant (CIP 51.0709)
- Medical Office Management/Administration (CIP 51.0705)
- Medical Reception/Receptionist (CIP 51.0712)
- Medical Staff Services Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0717)
- Medical Transcription/Transcriptionist (CIP 51.0708)
- Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist (CIP 51.0711)
- Regulatory Science/Affairs (CIP 51.0720)
How long does it take to get a medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.0716 in our file:
- 3,322 Associate (36.8% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 2,366 Bachelor's (26.2% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 3,322 Master's (36.8% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 5 Doctorate (0.1% of IPEDS total)—varies by program
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Teachers, Postsecondary (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,500,000 | — |
| Secondary School Teachers | 1,072,540 | $64,580 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a medical administrative/executive assistant and medical secretary degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Health and Medical Administrative Services bachelor's program family: median debt $13,987, median earnings $58,716 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.31.
About 4.3% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $5,242 and median net price is $15,282.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$5,242 Median In-State Public
$25,080 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary majors are, on average, $5,242 for in-state public colleges, and $25,080 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
7,771 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 2 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 3 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 4 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 5 | Western Governors University | UT | 155,088 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 2 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 3 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 4 | Lake Tahoe Community College | CA | $1,131 |
| 5 | Lake Tahoe Community College | CA | $1,131 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 2 | New Mexico State University-Grants | NM | $68 |
| 3 | Infinity College | LA | $230 |
| 4 | Infinity College | LA | $230 |
| 5 | Wiregrass Georgia Technical College | GA | $614 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary programs.
Graduation Rates
51.61% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
51.63% Average Graduation Rate
1,053 Institutions Reporting
37.10% - 65.13% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 51.07 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Clinical Research Coordinator CIP 51.0719
- Disease Registry Data Management CIP 51.0721
- Health & Medical Administrative Services CIP 51.0701
- Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator CIP 51.0706
- Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician CIP 51.0707
- Health Unit Coordinator/Ward Clerk CIP 51.0703
- Health Unit Manager/Ward Supervisor CIP 51.0704
- Health/Medical Claims Examiner CIP 51.0715
- Healthcare Information Privacy Assurance and Security CIP 51.0723
- Healthcare Innovation CIP 51.0722
- Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management CIP 51.0702
- Long Term Care Administration/Management CIP 51.0718
- Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder CIP 51.0713
- Medical Insurance Specialist/Medical Biller CIP 51.0714
- Medical Office Assistant/Specialist CIP 51.0710
- Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant CIP 51.0709
- Medical Office Management/Administration CIP 51.0705
- Medical Reception/Receptionist CIP 51.0712
- Medical Staff Services Technology/Technician CIP 51.0717
- Medical Transcription/Transcriptionist CIP 51.0708
- Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist CIP 51.0711
- Regulatory Science/Affairs CIP 51.0720
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.0716 in the survey year used in our extract (9,015 total across levels below).
- 3,322 Associate (36.8% of IPEDS total)
- 2,366 Bachelor's (26.2% of IPEDS total)
- 3,322 Master's (36.8% of IPEDS total)
- 5 Doctorate (0.1% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $64,987. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers, Postsecondary | $36,511 | 1,500,000 |
| Secondary School Teachers | $104,813 | 1,072,540 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Health and Medical Administrative Services CIP family (90 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary graduate.
- $13,987 median federal loan debt among completers
- $58,716 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.31 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 4.3% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$40,621 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary majors is $40,621.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary majors.
Occupations by Share
1,596,050 2023 Workforce
The number of Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary.
Age distribution for Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
7,771 Total Degrees Awarded
398 Male (5.12%)
7,373 Female (94.88%)
Gender distribution of Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
2,903 Black or African American (37.36%)
2,797 White (35.99%)
1,414 Hispanic or Latino (18.20%)
212 Asian (2.73%)
160 Two or More Races (2.06%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary majors.
About
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
In 2023, 7,771 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary.
CIP Code
51.0716 - Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $13,987 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $58,716, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary graduate.
Women earned 94.9% of 7,771 Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $64,987. The largest mapped role by headcount is Teachers, Postsecondary (1,500,000 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $5,242 in-state at public colleges and $25,080 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.