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Administrative assistant training by state

1,530 administrative assistant programs in 48 states, DC and 2 territories, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

Which schools offer WIOA-approved administrative assistant training?

755 schools offer these programs, and each state on this page approved its programs for workforce funding. Pick a state on the map or compare them belowCompare the states below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

What does an administrative assistant do, and how do you become one?

Secretaries and administrative assistants do routine clerical and organizational work: answering phones, scheduling appointments, preparing documents and keeping files. High school graduates comfortable with word processing and spreadsheets typically qualify and learn the job in a few weeks of on-the-job training; some community colleges and technical schools offer courses in office procedures.1

DC1PR11VI2
Approved programsup to 78 to 2122 to 43more than 43

How much does administrative assistant training cost?

Most administrative assistant programs approved for WIOA funding cost $2,000 to $6,500 if you pay yourself. Certificates and short courses mostly cost $1,671 to $5,132 and two-year degrees $7,075 to $11,447. Prices also differ by state: most cost $250 to $2,625 in New Hampshire and $3,745 to $9,405 in Louisiana.

That is the price of the whole program as the school reports it. If you qualify, WIOA funding can pay part or all of it, depending on local limits (who qualifies). The figures cover only programs approved for WIOA funding; other schools and programs may cost more or less.

Compare administrative assistant training by state: cost, pay and results

Administrative assistant training by state
StateProgramsMost costEarned a year, estimatedWorking 6 months laterFinished
Alaska7$4,525 to $17,098about $28,60050%77%
Arizona29$1,725 to $6,700Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Arkansas16$5,971 to $12,911about $25,00055%33%
California77$644 to $3,599about $36,10076%69%
Colorado33$509 to $8,954Not enough dataNot enough data95%
Connecticut8$1,586 to $3,078Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Delaware1Too few figures to show
District of Columbia1Too few figures to show
Florida31$2,995 to $4,900Not enough dataNot enough data83%
Georgia38$4,500 to $7,665about $26,30070%19%
Hawaii2Too few figures to show
Idaho3Too few figures to show
Illinois78Left outNot enough dataNot enough dataNot reported
Indiana64$1,960 to $3,588about $35,00063%66%
Iowa32$3,363 to $12,592about $28,80077%41%
Kansas9$1,125 to $4,200Not enough dataNot enough data21%
Kentucky48Too few figures to show
Louisiana34$3,745 to $9,405Not enough dataLeft outLeft out
Maine18$386 to $2,298Not enough dataNot enough data100%
Maryland12$2,583 to $4,241about $44,10053%47%
Massachusetts45$265 to $5,715Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Michigan40$3,318 to $7,750Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Minnesota68$2,956 to $9,952about $30,90073%58%
Mississippi26$4,100 to $7,664about $24,50063%Left out
Missouri45$3,445 to $6,370Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Montana1Too few figures to show
Nebraska16$2,036 to $5,303about $29,50077%63%
Nevada22$1,436 to $3,982Not enough dataLeft out81%
New Hampshire75$250 to $2,625Left outLeft outNot enough data
New Jersey21$975 to $3,925Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
New Mexico7$3,253 to $5,975Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft out
New York18$289 to $1,998Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
North Carolina21$2,994 to $5,584about $35,70067%36%
North Dakota1Too few figures to show
Ohio100$2,189 to $6,911Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Oklahoma12$2,148 to $2,789about $27,000Left out64%
Oregon3Too few figures to show
Pennsylvania38$3,561 to $9,761Not enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Puerto Rico11$4,185 to $9,670Not enough dataLeft outLeft out
Rhode Island2Too few figures to show
South Carolina1Too few figures to show
South Dakota4Too few figures to show
Tennessee43$2,622 to $4,119about $23,60075%69%
Texas141$2,095 to $6,290about $24,40062%68%
US Virgin Islands2Too few figures to show
Utah9$2,500 to $2,765about $38,800Left out45%
Vermont3Too few figures to show
Virginia29$2,800 to $7,715Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Washington130$1,899 to $6,601Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Wisconsin53$2,745 to $8,937about $33,20075%52%
Wyoming2Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft outNot enough data

Each figure is the middle program in that state. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools may offer administrative assistant training too. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).How these figures are made

Administrative assistant certificate or classes? What the 1,530 programs are

By kind, the 1,530 programs approved for WIOA funding are administrative assistant or office certificate (718 programs), microsoft Office and Excel course (410 programs), office administration (associate degree, 246 programs), computer basics and digital literacy course (54 programs), and 102 more of 6 other kinds.

Across the US, 653 of the 1,530 programs take students without a high school diploma, 723 ask for a diploma or equivalent, 146 ask for earlier courses first, 7 ask for an associate degree and 1 asks for a bachelor's degree.

Is there free administrative assistant training in the US?

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Other training by state

Approved programs per field across every state. Each opens that field's comparison by state.

Where the administrative assistant program numbers by state come from

Which administrative assistant programs are counted?

Programs each state approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).6 Schools that never applied for approval are missing.

What the figures for each state mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where a figure is missing, the table says why: "Not reported", "Left out" or "Not enough data" (what each means).

Sources for the facts about administrative assistant training

Show the 6 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List