Will AI replace administrative assistants?
Updated
Secretaries score 66 of 100 for AI exposure. AI can already do 48% of their task time. Another 42% gets faster with AI, and 10% still needs a person.
- 48% AI can do it
- 42% AI helps
- 10% Needs a person
High exposure
Higher than 97% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 31 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 13 of them today, speeds up 15 and leaves 3 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Review work done by others to check for correct spelling and grammar, ensure that company format policies are followed, and recommend revisions. Proofreading and format checks are very well suited to AI. | 88% AI can do it |
| Schedule and confirm appointments for clients, customers, or supervisors. Scheduling and confirming appointments is routine software work. | 82% AI can do it |
| Create, maintain, and enter information into databases. Data entry and database upkeep are highly automatable. | 80% AI can do it |
| Maintain scheduling and event calendars. Calendar maintenance is routine and handled by scheduling tools. | 80% AI can do it |
| Compose, type, and distribute meeting notes, routine correspondence, or reports, such as presentations or expense, statistical, or monthly reports. Meeting notes and routine reports are strong AI drafting tasks. | 80% AI can do it |
| Complete forms in accordance with company procedures. Form completion from existing data is highly automatable. | 75% AI can do it |
| Conduct searches to find needed information, using such sources as the Internet. Web search and summarizing findings is core AI strength. | 75% AI can do it |
| Prepare conference or event materials, such as flyers or invitations. AI drafts flyers and invitations; a person approves them. | 72% AI can do it |
| Locate and attach appropriate files to incoming correspondence requiring replies. Finding and attaching relevant files is easily automated. | 70% AI can do it |
| Set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, recording information, updating paperwork, or maintaining documents, such as attendance records, correspondence, or other material. Electronic filing and record updates are largely automatable; paper handling is not. | 65% AI can do it |
Show the other 21 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Arrange conference, meeting, or travel reservations for office personnel. Travel and room booking agents handle reservations; a person approves. | 65% AI can do it |
| Answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or transfer calls to appropriate individuals. AI voice agents can answer, route, and log messages. | 62% AI can do it |
| Provide services to customers, such as order placement or account information. Chatbots handle order and account queries end to end. | 62% AI can do it |
| Operate electronic mail systems and coordinate the flow of information, internally or with other organizations. AI can triage and draft email; coordination needs human contact. | 58% AI helps |
| Use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing. AI assists word processing and database work, a person leads. | 55% AI helps |
| Perform payroll functions, such as maintaining timekeeping information and processing and submitting payroll. Payroll software runs most steps; a person verifies and approves. | 55% AI helps |
| Develop or maintain internal or external company Web sites. AI builds and edits site content and code; a person is responsible for quality. | 55% AI helps |
| Open, read, route, and distribute incoming mail or other materials and answer routine letters. Split into two direct statements and stated mail handling requires people. | 50% AI helps |
| Mail newsletters, promotional material, or other information. Email campaigns automate; physical mailing still needs handling. | 50% AI helps |
| Collect and deposit money into accounts, disburse funds from cash accounts to pay bills or invoices, keep records of collections and disbursements, and ensure accounts are balanced. Reconciliation automates; cash deposits and approvals need people. | 45% AI helps |
| Train and assist staff with computer usage. AI can draft guides, but live staff coaching stays human. | 40% AI helps |
| Order and dispense supplies. Reordering can automate; physical dispensing needs a person. | 40% AI helps |
| Coordinate conferences, meetings, or special events, such as luncheons or graduation ceremonies. AI plans logistics and vendors; on-site coordination stays human. | 40% AI helps |
| Establish work procedures or schedules and keep track of the daily work of clerical staff. Workflow aids help; supervising staff needs human judgement. | 35% AI helps |
| Prepare and mail checks. Check preparation automates; signing and mailing stay manual. | 35% AI helps |
| Manage projects or contribute to committee or team work. Project tracking tools help; teamwork and decisions stay human. | 35% AI helps |
| Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs. In-person greeting needs presence; chat tools handle some inquiries. | 30% AI helps |
| Learn to operate new office technologies as they are developed and implemented. Learning new tools is human, though AI tutorials help. | 30% AI helps |
| Supervise other clerical staff and provide training and orientation to new staff. Supervision and in-person training depend on human judgement and presence. | 15% Needs a person |
| Operate office equipment, such as fax machines, copiers, or phone systems and arrange for repairs when equipment malfunctions. Hands-on equipment operation and repairs need physical presence. | 12% Needs a person |
| Make copies of correspondence or other printed material. Physical copying on machines gains little from AI. | 12% Needs a person |
How secretaries compare
All occupations (923)
Office and administrative support (51)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $47,540 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 1.7 million in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -6.0% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Proofread documents against company format policy in Microsoft Word
- Build and maintain calendars in Microsoft Outlook
- Check and correct database entries in Microsoft Access
- Reconcile records and enter data in SAP software
- Supervise clerical staff and set their daily work schedules
- Train new staff on office equipment and phone systems
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about secretaries and AI
Will administrative assistants be replaced by AI?
Partly. About 6 in 10 working hours of a secretary's job go to tasks AI can already do, mostly proofreading and scheduling appointments. What stays with people is supervising clerical staff, greeting visitors, and running office equipment that needs someone physically present.
Which secretary tasks is AI taking over?
Proofreading and format checks are the most exposed task, with an exposure score of 88. Scheduling and confirming appointments scores 82 and database entry scores 80, because these are routine steps that scheduling tools and software already handle without much human input.
Which secretary tasks stay human?
Operating office equipment and arranging repairs scores 12, since it needs a person at the machine. Supervising clerical staff scores 15 because training and daily judgement depend on people in the room. Greeting visitors scores 30 and still needs someone at the front desk.
How can secretaries stay valuable as AI takes over routine work?
Learn Microsoft Access and SAP well enough to check the records AI enters. Take on supervision of clerical staff and train new hires on office equipment. Review AI drafts in Microsoft Word and sign off on them before they go out.
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