Talk about a career that can be found in nearly every industry, administrative assistants have plenty of job opportunities around every corner. This is a job you could get straight out of high school.
Administrative Assitants are responsible for routine clerical and administrative duties. While these positions are available in a wide-range of industries, the majority can be found in schools, hospitals and government, legal and medical offices.
How to Become an Administrative Assistant
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an administrative assistant. For example, did you know that they make an average of $17.48 an hour? That's $36,352 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -7% and produce -276,700 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does an Administrative Assistant Do
There are certain skills that many administrative assistants have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed interpersonal skills, organizational skills and writing skills.
How To Become an Administrative Assistant
If you're interested in becoming an administrative assistant, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 46.9% of administrative assistants have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 4.3% of administrative assistants have master's degrees. Even though most administrative assistants have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become an administrative assistant. When we researched the most common majors for an administrative assistant, we found that they most commonly earn bachelor's degree degrees or associate degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on administrative assistant resumes include high school diploma degrees or diploma degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become an administrative assistant. In fact, many administrative assistant jobs require experience in a role such as customer service representative. Meanwhile, many administrative assistants also have previous career experience in roles such as cashier or receptionist.
Administrative Assistant Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, an administrative assistant can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as accounts payable clerk, progress to a title such as staff accountant and then eventually end up with the title controller.
Administrative Assistant
Controller
9 Years
Accounting Manager
7 Years
Senior Account Manager
7 Years
Senior Administrative Assistant
7 Years
Finance Manager
7 Years
Co-Owner
6 Years
Show More
Average Salary for an Administrative Assistant
Administrative Assistants in America make an average salary of $36,352 per year or $17 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $48,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $27,000 per year.
Average Administrative Assistant Salary
$36,352Â Yearly$17.48 hourly
$27,000
10 %
$36,000
Median
$48,000
90 %
What Am I Worth?
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Top Colleges for Administrative Assistants
1. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
6. Cedar Crest College
Allentown, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$39,216
Enrollment
1,303
7. Morgan State University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,900
Enrollment
6,404
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$27,124
Enrollment
2,035
10. University of Akron
Akron, OH • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,463
Enrollment
13,676
Top Skills For an Administrative Assistant
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 11.1% of administrative assistants listed customer service on their resume, but soft skills such as interpersonal skills and organizational skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Administrative Assistant Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Administrative Assistant templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Administrative Assistant resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Administrative Assistant Demographics
Administrative Assistant Gender Distribution
Female
87%
Male
13%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among administrative assistants, 87.3% of them are women, while 12.7% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among administrative assistants is White, which makes up 70.7% of all administrative assistants.
- The most common foreign language among administrative assistants is Spanish at 64.2%.
Online Courses For Administrative Assistant That You May Like
Advertising Disclosure  The courses listed below are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the course, we may receive a commission.
Practical Office 365 Administration
Learn in depth about Office 365 for Administrators and also find useful tips and resources to enhance your role as an Of...
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Best States For an Administrative Assistant
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an administrative assistant. The best states for people in this position are Alaska, California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Administrative assistants make the most in Alaska with an average salary of $48,899. Whereas in California and Massachusetts, they would average $45,345 and $41,712, respectively. While administrative assistants would only make an average of $40,610 in Connecticut, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Alaska
Total Administrative Assistant Jobs:
152
Highest 10% Earn:
$62,000
Location Quotient:
1.98 Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
$48,899
Avg. Salary
2. Massachusetts
Total Administrative Assistant Jobs:
1,144
Highest 10% Earn:
$53,000
Location Quotient:
1.35 Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
$41,712
Avg. Salary
3. California
Total Administrative Assistant Jobs:
2,842
Highest 10% Earn:
$62,000
Location Quotient:
1.06 Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
$45,345
Avg. Salary
How Do Administrative Assistant Rate Their Jobs?
4.0
Administrative Assistant • October 2019
4.0
Administrative Assistant • October 2019What do you like the most about working as Administrative Assistant?
The flexibility to make decisions and multitask Show MoreWhat do you NOT like?
There is not much I do not enjoy. Show More4.0
administrative support • July 2019
4.0
administrative support • July 2019What do you like the most about working as Administrative Assistant?
computer software knowledge. retrieve mail . Filing. answering phones. greeting customers. Show MoreWhat do you NOT like?
Bending. stooping. lifting heavy boxes Show More3.0
3.0
What do you like the most about working as Administrative Assistant?
Interaction with clients and or customers is what I mainly liked, especially when confidentiality was needed! I also liked multitasking for different. departments. Show MoreWhat do you NOT like?
That my position at the college was just temporary, the same with my internship. Show More1
2
Top Administrative Assistant Employers
We've made finding a great employer to work for easy by doing the hard work for you. We looked into employers that employ administrative assistants and discovered their number of administrative assistant opportunities and average salary. Through our research, we concluded that ManpowerGroup was the best, especially with an average salary of $35,949. Robert Half follows up with an average salary of $35,631, and then comes Adecco USA with an average of $34,358. In addition, we know most people would rather work from home. So instead of having to change careers, we identified the best employers for remote work as an administrative assistant. The employers include Plante & Moran PLLC., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Beacon Hill Staffing Group
Most Common Employers For Administrative Assistant
| Rank  | Company  | Average Salary  | Hourly Rate  | Job Openings  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IBM | $65,286 | $31.39 | 653 |
| 2 | AT&T | $55,522 | $26.69 | 647 |
| 3 | Wells Fargo | $47,572 | $22.87 | 1,166 |
| 4 | Bank of America | $47,282 | $22.73 | 1,168 |
| 5 | Kaiser Permanente | $40,303 | $19.38 | 536 |
| 6 | Allstate | $39,054 | $18.78 | 748 |
| 7 | Farmers Insurance | $38,011 | $18.27 | 513 |
| 8 | State Farm Insurance Agency | $36,352 | $17.48 | 700 |
| 9 | ManpowerGroup | $35,949 | $17.28 | 2,719 |
| 10 | FedEx | $35,670 | $17.15 | 526 |
Becoming an Administrative Assistant FAQs
How do I become an administrative assistant with no experience?
To become an administrative assistant with no experience, look for an entry-level position that provides on-the-job training.
If you are interested in becoming an administrative assistant but do not have any experience - meaning you have no work history or educational credentials beyond a high school diploma - then you have a decent chance of finding a job that will provide on-the-job training.
How hard is it to be an administrative assistant?
It is not very hard to be an administrative assistant.
Nearly every job industry requires administrative assistants to keep the business running. Administrative assistants handle much of the background work required to run a business, from filing documents to managing data. You can start working in administrative assistant positions without a college degree.
How long does it take to become an administrative assistant?
It takes 0 to 4 years to become an administrative assistant.
Most administrative assistants begin with either no training beyond a high school diploma. However, it may be difficult to get your foot in the door without additional educational credentials. However, many administrative assistants earn an associate's degree (2-year degree) in business or humanities.
Is an administrative assistant a good job?
Yes, being an administrative assistant is a good job. Administrative assistants is ranked #27 in the best business jobs. An administrative assistant works with people, demonstrates a broad range of skills, and has opportunities for advancement.
What are the main duties of an administrative assistant?
Administrative assistants' main duties are 'secretarial duties,' such as accounting, data entry, billing, inventory, record-keeping, correspondence, and sales, so strong typing skills and familiarity with Microsoft Office programs (e.g., Excel, Documents) are very important.
What qualifications do you need to be an admin assistant?
The qualifications you need to be an administrative assistant are knowledge of computers and office equipment, communication, and people skills, time management, and scheduling abilities. Successful administrative assistants thrive on performing a wide range of duties, from basic clerical tasks to specialized jobs in specific industries.
Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.
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