Secretaries, Recorders and Transcriptionists (NOC 124)

What They Do Secretaries perform administrative duties/clerical activities using office software and operating other office equipment. Court recorders record verbatim proceedings of courts using stenomasks, electronic stenography machines or computerized recording equipment. They transcribe recorded proceedings according to established formats. Medical transcriptionists record and trascribe surgical proceedings, medical reports and records from machine dictation or rough notes from medical reports, correspondence, and patient information.

Where They Find Work —    Top Occupational Areas Health care and social assistance 19% Educational services 12% Public administration 10% Legal services 9% Other services (except public administration) 7% Construction 5% Finance and insurance 4% People in this group work for government and businesses such as: Law offices, company legal departments, and courts Real estate companies and land titles offices Doctors' offices, hospitals, clinics, and other medical organizations The unionization rate (34%) is close to the average (32%) for all occupations. The highest concentrations (per 10,000 people) of secretaries, recorders and transcriptionists are found in Quebec and New Brunswick while the lowest concentrations are in Newfoundland and Manitoba.

Related Occupation(s) Paralegal and Related Occupations (NOC 4211) Administrative Officers (NOC 1221) Executive Assistants (NOC 1222)

Something to Think About To enhance your professional knowledge and broaden your opportunities, consider: Dealing with clients (problem-solving) Gaining knowledge of business document production Reading policy/computer manuals

Use the "Where They Find Work" graph to target your worksearch. It may be easier to get into industries with the most people in this field. Want to work in an industry that hires fewer workers in this field? To be more marketable, check out whether you have the most up-to-date knowledge and technology skills for that industry. Check the provincial/territorial or local information (http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca) for opportunities in your area.

What You Need To be a secretary (except legal and medical), you must have a high school diploma, and complete a one- to two-year college or other secretarial program, or have previous experience. To be a legal secretary, you usually need a one- to two-year college program or other specialized course for secretaries or legal secretaries. To be a medical secretary, you usually need a one- to two-year college program or other specialized course for secretaries or medical secretaries. To be a court recorder or medical transcriptionist, you need a high school diploma. Court recorders must complete college or a program in court reporting. You may need a Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) or Chartered Shorthand Reporter (CSR) certificate. Almost 1 in 2 have a trade/vocational certificate, and 2 in 5 have a community college diploma.

Required/Related    Educational Programs* This will let you explore the program(s) of study that lead to this (these) occupation(s). Financial Management - Other (C111) Business Administration (C121) Accounting (T110) Commerce - Business Administration (U120) Sociology (U880) *  These educational programs are listed in the order in which they are most likely to supply graduates to this occupation.

Useful Experience/Skills Computer literacy Project organization Record-keeping		Useful High School Subjects English Keyboarding Computer-related courses
Depending on your background, this Education, Training, and Experience info will help you to: Choose your high school courses Plan your post-secondary program Choose relevant volunteer work Decide what new skills to learn Read job ads, professional journals, and newspapers for what the industry needs and employers want. Talk to employers and employees to find out the exceptional skills and knowledge that will help you land a job.

Current Conditions Your work prospects are rated LIMITED because: Employement grew at a below-average rate. Hourly wages ($15.73) are close to the average ($18.07), and the rate of wage growth is above average. The unemployment rate (3%) is close to the 2004 average (7%).

Work Prospects Current   Limited   2009   Limited

Outlook to 2009 Your work prospects will continue to be LIMITED because: The employment growth rate will likely be below average because of an increased productivity from organizational restructuring and the adoption of new technologies. Although the retirement rate will likely be above average, the number of retiring workers should contribute to job openings. The number of job seekers will likely match the number of job openings.

Preparing for the Competition You're more likely to be hired if you're skilled in office automation technologies such as computers, electronic mail, and voice messaging systems.

If you are beginning your career investigation, national outlooks will give you a good overview of trends. Ready to explore an occupation in more detail? Check provincial/territorial or local outlooks (http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca).

What you can expect to make (Average Hourly Earnings ($/hour))
Age Group This Occupation All Occupations 20-24 $11.71 $11.74 25-54 $15.99 $19.76 55+ $16.34 $19.59 Overall Average for Ages (20+) This Occupation All Occupations $15.73 $18.07		Hourly wages ($15.73) are close to the national average ($18.07). These earnings are close to the average for occupations in the business, finance and administration sector and are below average for all technical, professional, and skilled occupations. These wages grew at an above-average rate from 2002 to 2004.
Your salary can be affected by your background, the company's size and benefits, and the region and setting (urban or rural). Check out salaries in your own region by seeking info from: Employees/unions/associations Employers/human resource people Training institutions and placement services Company websites Professional/trade journals

Close to the average
The unemployment rate (3%) is close to the 2004 average (7%). This rate is close to the average for technical, professional, and skilled occupations. A low unemployment rate often means less competition for the jobs available. But you still need to have the required training and experience. A high unemployment rate doesn't necessarily mean you'll have great difficulty getting hired. But it can mean a fluctuating demand for workers, and you may experience bouts of unemployment.		Year This Occupation All Occupations 1991 6% 10% 1992 7% 11% 1993 7% 11% 1994 6% 10% 1995 6% 10% 1996 6% 10% 1997 5% 9% 1998 4% 8% 1999 4% 8% 2000 4% 7% 2001 4% 7% 2002 4% 8% 2003 4% 8% 2004 3% 7%

% of part-time work is about the same as average
This Occupation All Occupations Full-time 79% 81% Part-time 21% 19%		There were 251 700 workers employed in these occupations in 2004, a decrease of 11% since 1997. The percentage of part-time workers is 21% compared to the 2004 average (19%) and has dropped since 1997.
When full-time work is difficult to find, look at alternatives such as contract work, consulting, shared positions, and telework.

Average
The percentage of self-employed workers is 5% compared to the 2004 average of 15% and has risen significantly since 1997.		This Occupation All Occupations Self-Employed 5% 15%
Does this occupation have an above-average rate of self-employment? Consider being your own boss if you can't find work with an employer.

Age Group This Occupation All Occupations 20-24 6% 10% 25-54 77% 72% 55+ 17% 12%		The earlier-than-average retirement age (60) combined with an expected older-than-average age (44) of worker will likely result in an above-average retirement rate to 2009.
Look at the youngest group. A low percentage means fewer openings for brand-new workers. A high percentage means more openings for brand-new workers. Look at the oldest age group. A high percentage means positions could open up from retirements. This could be significant for both mid-career changers and brand-new workers.

Above average
The percentage of women (96%) is above the 2004 average of 48%.		This Occupation All Occupations Percent Women 96% 48%

This page last modified on: 2007-03-31