Annual Salary
£17,500 to £24,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Social care or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Social care or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Medical secretaries provide office support in hospitals, GP surgeries, private clinics and universities.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: between 8am and 6pm; on a rota
There will be
18.7% fewer Medical secretary jobs in 2027.
In this role you could:
You could work in an office, at a GP practice or in an NHS or private hospital.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job. Relevant subjects include:
You'll usually need:
You can get into this role through a business administrator advanced apprenticeship.
This typically takes 18 months to complete as a mix of workplace learning and off the job study.
You'll usually need:
If you already work in a healthcare setting, for instance, as a receptionist or clerical assistant, it may help you move into a medical secretary role if you take a relevant qualification while you're working.
The Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR) and the British Society of Medical Secretaries and Administrators (BSMSA) offer:
If you want to apply directly for jobs, employers will expect you to have some GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English.
You'll find it useful to have a typing or word processing qualification like an RSA certificate before you look for work. Some organisations may also want you to have knowledge of medical terminology.
To get a job as a medical secretary, you'll need experience of working in an office, ideally in a secretarial role. Temporary work can be a good way of getting this experience.
When applying for NHS jobs, you'll be expected to have an understanding of how NHS values apply in your work.
You can find out more about medical secretarial careers from Health Careers.
With experience, you could manage a team of secretaries in a large organisation.
With further training, you could become an administration manager, office manager or GP practice manager.
You could also move into roles in finance or HR.
You'll need: