How Much Does a Hospital Unit Secretary Earn?

Your earnings as a hospital unit secretary could be affected by varying factors, such as where you work and how much experience you have. Discovering what hospital unit secretaries earn on a national basis can help you determine what you might earn or, if you're currently employed as a secretary, how your salary measures up. Schools offering Administrative Assistant degrees can also be found in these popular choices.

Hospital Unit Secretary Career Information

As a hospital unit secretary, you would handle clerical duties, such as answering the telephone, scheduling appointments, organizing patient charts and handling communications within the hospital unit. Your job doesn't involve caring for patients, although you might direct patients where to go or speak with them over the phone. In this position, you need a professional attitude, computer skills and excellent communication skills. Knowledge of medical terminology and the functions of a hospital are also helpful.

Salary Overview

When considering your possible earnings, you might take into account a variety of factors that can have an effect on your pay rate. According to PayScale.com, as of March 2012, the hourly pay rate for the 10th- to 90th-percentile range of hospital unit secretaries was $9.62-$16.45. With overtime and bonuses, the total annual pay was $20,173-$36,308.

Salary Variables

Factors that can affect your potential earnings include years of experience, employer, education and location. According to PayScale.com, the hourly rates for unit secretaries with less than one year of experience in the 10th- to 90th-percentile range were $8.10-$14.66 as of March 2012. With 1-4 years of experience, the possible earnings were $9.41-$15.32. Earnings for secretaries with 5-9 years of experience were $9.98-$16.15, and with 10-19 years of experience, you could earn $10.49-$18.09.

Unit secretary positions may be offered in different types of hospital settings. In a general hospital, PayScale.com reported the 10th- to 90th-percentile earnings were $9.50-$16.34. In an ambulatory care or surgical center, earnings were reported as $9.93-$15.79.

While formal education might not be required, it can have an effect on your earnings. According to PayScale.com, as of March 2012, unit secretaries in the 10th- to 90th-percentile range with a high school diploma earned $8.24-$14.22. Holding an associate degree brought earnings of $9.09-$15.98. With a bachelor's degree, secretaries earned $9.41-$15.47.

PayScale.com reported earnings for unit secretaries in the 10th- to 90th-percentile range in seven states: Texas, Florida, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Georgia and Pennsylvania. The highest earnings of the seven states were in California, with a pay range of $11.98-$21.80. In Texas, the earnings were reported as $9.60-$15.40. Florida earnings were reported as $9.25-$15.00. In Illinois, the earnings were $10.95-$16.83. New Jersey, Georgia and Pennsylvania had earnings ranges of $10.29-$16.66, $8.59-$15.17 and $10.12-$16.89, respectively.

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