Profession · Full profile

Administrative Assistant

Keeps an office running: answers calls, manages calendars and files, prepares documents and supports staff.

Average salary

$47,540

Salary range

$33,280 – $66,350

Training time

A few weeks on the job

Job market

Decline

2/10

Work-life balance

Good

7/10

An administrative assistant keeps an office running. The job covers answering phones and greeting visitors, scheduling appointments and meetings, preparing correspondence, memos and reports, maintaining paper and electronic files and databases, handling mail and supplies, and doing basic bookkeeping such as invoices and expense reports. General administrative assistants and secretaries are counted separately from executive, legal and medical ones; the figures on this page cover the general group, which holds 1,889,800 jobs. The median annual wage is $47,540. A high school diploma plus a few weeks of on-the-job training is the typical way in. Employment is projected to decline 6% over the next decade, partly because AI and digital tools let staff prepare their own documents, but about 163,900 openings a year are still expected.

A workday

A day in the life

What does a workday really look like?

An administrative assistant supports a department of a few dozen people, handling calls, a staff meeting, invoices and office upkeep.

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Open up and sort the inbox
Checks voicemail and the shared mailbox, flags urgent requests and reviews the day's calendar for the team.
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Phones, visitors and calendar requests
Answers and transfers calls, signs in visitors and books meeting rooms and appointments for managers.
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Prepare the weekly staff meeting
Sends the agenda, prints handouts, sets up the video link and makes sure remote attendees can join.
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Take minutes at the meeting
Records decisions and action items so they can be shared with the team the same day.
11:45 AM - 12:15 PM
Lunch
Break, usually timed so someone else covers the phones.
12:15 PM - 1:30 PM
Send minutes and routine correspondence
Types up the minutes, drafts letters and memos for managers and edits documents before they go out.
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM
Invoices and expense reports
Enters invoices in the accounting system, checks receipts on expense reports and updates the department's spreadsheet.
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Supplies, mail and equipment
Orders office supplies, handles outgoing mail and packages and calls the vendor about a jammed copier.
3:45 PM - 4:30 PM
Confirm tomorrow's appointments and file
Confirms meetings and visitor arrivals for the next day and files the day's paperwork and digital records.

Task breakdown

A secretary in an elementary or middle school runs the front office, handling parents, students, teachers and records from before the first bell to dismissal.

7:15 AM - 7:45 AM
Open the office, check absence line
Listens to messages from parents reporting absences and checks which teachers need a substitute.
7:45 AM - 8:30 AM
Morning arrivals at the front desk
Signs in late students and visitors, takes forgotten lunches and answers parent questions at the counter.
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Attendance records and parent calls
Enters attendance in the student information system and calls families of students marked absent without notice.
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Check-in with the principal
Goes over the principal's calendar, upcoming events and letters that need to go home this week.
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Enrollment paperwork and student files
Processes new student enrollments, requests records from previous schools and updates student files.
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Lunch
Often eaten at the desk, since the front office cannot be left empty for long.
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Front desk, phones and sick students
Handles a steady stream of calls, visitors and students sent to the office, and reaches parents for early pickups.
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM
Newsletter and parent conferences
Drafts the weekly family newsletter and schedules parent-teacher conferences on teachers' calendars.
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Dismissal, then close the office
Manages early pickups and bus changes, then files the day's forms and sets up tomorrow's sign-in sheets.

Salary data

What do you really earn?

Salary by experience, sector and region.

Minimum

$33,280

Average

$47,540

Maximum

$66,350

Salary by region

Region	Min	Avg.	Max
National	$33,280	$47,540	$66,350
California	$38,060	$55,400	$78,170
Texas	$29,810	$45,140	$63,020
New York	$37,330	$49,600	$64,840
Florida	$33,380	$45,900	$63,340
Illinois	$31,930	$48,310	$76,790

Typical benefits

Fast way into office work

A high school diploma and solid computer skills are enough for many entry-level jobs, and the duties are learned in a few weeks on the job.

Regular full-time hours

Most administrative assistants work full time on a daytime schedule, with evenings and weekends usually free.

Employer benefits are common

Because most jobs are full-time positions with schools, hospitals, government and companies, health insurance and a retirement plan are commonly offered, though this varies by employer.

Jobs in every industry

Healthcare, schools, government, law and accounting firms, nonprofits and manufacturers all need office support, so you can pick a field that interests you.

Openings despite the decline

About 163,900 openings are projected each year over the next decade, as experienced assistants retire or move to other jobs.

Springboard to other roles

The job is a common first step toward executive assistant, office manager, HR assistant or bookkeeping roles.

Pathways

Education pathways

Which paths lead to this profession?

On-the-job training

A few weeks

High school diploma plus on-the-job training

High school graduates who are comfortable with word processing and spreadsheet programs typically qualify for entry-level jobs. New hires learn the organization's administrative procedures, systems and document formats in a few weeks on the job. Temporary staffing agencies may also train workers in word processing, spreadsheet and database software.

Costs: Paid by the employer; the trainee earns a wage.
Entry requirements: High school diploma or equivalent.
High school subjects: English, business, computer applications, keyboarding, mathematics

Certificate

About 1 semester to 1 year for a certificate; 2 years full time for an associate degree

Office administration courses at a community college or technical school

Many community colleges and technical schools offer courses or certificate programs in office procedures, business software and business communication. They help candidates without office experience and those aiming at medical or legal settings, where specific terminology is needed. A bachelor's degree is typically not required.

Costs: About $4,150 a year in average published tuition and fees at a public two-year college; certificate programs are often priced per credit at community-college rates.
Entry requirements: High school diploma or equivalent for most programs.
High school subjects: Training topics: Office procedures, business software, business communication, records management

Certificate

Self-study plus a 50-minute exam per program

Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)

An optional certification that proves skill in programs such as Word and Excel. Exams are delivered through Certiport, and many community colleges and testing centers offer them. Each exam covers one program; passing three of the four Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook exams earns the MOS Associate level, and Expert exams exist for Word and Excel. It does not need renewing, but it is tied to the Office version you tested on.

Costs: Fees vary by testing center, and schools often get discounted vouchers.
Entry requirements: None.
High school subjects: Exam topics: Document formatting, tables, mail merge, spreadsheet formulas and functions, charts, data management

Certificate

Self-study plus an exam

Certified Administrative Professional (CAP)

Offered by the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), the CAP is aimed at experienced administrative staff who want a recognized credential. It is optional and more useful a few years into the career than at entry level. Holders keep it by earning recertification points.

Costs: Exam fee set by IAAP, with a lower rate for IAAP members.
Entry requirements: Set by IAAP; a combination of education and administrative work experience, with less experience required for candidates who hold a degree.
High school subjects: Exam topics: Organizational communication, business writing and document production, technology and information distribution, office and records management, event and project management

Profile

Skills & personality

Is this a good fit for you?

Hard skills

Office softwareWord processing, spreadsheets, presentations and email, plus shared calendars and video meeting tools.
Scheduling and calendar managementBooking and confirming appointments, meetings and rooms for several people without double-booking anyone.
Records and database managementSetting up paper and electronic filing systems and entering and updating information in databases accurately.
Business writingDrafting memos, letters, meeting notes and routine reports with correct grammar and a professional tone.
Basic bookkeeping and expensesProcessing invoices and expense reports in tools such as QuickBooks or SAP Concur and tracking a simple budget.
Collaboration and CRM toolsWorking in systems such as Slack, Jira or Salesforce to route requests, track tasks and update customer records.

Soft skills

Active listeningTaking accurate messages and understanding what a caller or manager actually needs before acting.
Clear speakingGiving callers and visitors correct information quickly and courteously, often by phone.
Judgment and prioritizingDeciding which of many requests comes first and making routine decisions on a manager's behalf.

Is this a good fit for you?

✓
Attention to detailA wrong date, a misspelled name or a missing attachment reflects on the whole office, so accuracy is the core of the job.
✓
DependabilityManagers and coworkers rely on the assistant to follow through on every request without reminders.
✓
CooperationThe job is about helping other people get their work done, often several people with competing demands.
✓
DiscretionAssistants see salaries, personnel files, student or customer records and confidential plans, and must keep them private.
✓
ComposurePhones, visitors and urgent requests arrive at the same time; staying calm and polite keeps the office running.

Market

Job market & outlook

What does the market look like?

Openings per year

163,900

Trend

Declining

Growth

-6%

AI impact

8/10

AI assistants, scheduling software and document tools already handle much of the drafting, data entry and calendar work that used to define the job, and managers increasingly do these tasks themselves. Front-desk work, handling people in person, office logistics and judgment calls on a manager's behalf are harder to automate.

Regional demand

California

About 158,630 jobs; median pay $55,400 a year.

4/10

Texas

About 149,650 jobs; median pay $45,140 a year.

5/10

New York

About 122,490 jobs; median pay $49,600 a year.

6/10

Florida

About 104,000 jobs; median pay $45,900 a year.

5/10

Illinois

About 74,280 jobs; median pay $48,310 a year.

6/10

Growth

Career paths

Where can this profession take you?

Vertical growth

Administrative or office assistant
0-2 years
Handles phones, filing, data entry and scheduling for a team while learning the organization's systems.
Senior administrative assistant
3-5 years
Takes on budgets, vendor contacts, event planning and training of newer staff, often for a whole department.
Executive assistant
5+ years
Supports top executives, reviews incoming documents, conducts research and prepares reports; several years of administrative experience is typical.
Office manager
5-10 years
Supervises clerical and administrative staff and runs the office, a step that can lead on to administrative services management.

Horizontal move

HR assistant
Assistants who enjoy onboarding, records and employee questions can move into human resources support.
Medical secretary
Learning medical terminology and billing basics opens a move to healthcare offices, the one secretary group projected to grow.

Good to know

Practical info

Working hours: Mostly full time on a standard daytime schedule, Monday to Friday. School secretaries follow the school day and calendar.
Remote work: Limited. Most administrative assistants work in offices, and front-desk duties require being on site. Some work from home as virtual assistants, and hybrid setups exist for roles focused on scheduling, documents and email.
Physical requirements: Low. Most of the day is spent sitting at a desk using a computer and phone, with some walking, lifting of supply boxes and use of copiers.
Typical employers: Across the broader secretaries and administrative assistants group, healthcare and social assistance employs 32%, educational services 13%, professional, scientific and technical services 11%, government 8%, and religious, civic and professional organizations 5%. Small businesses and corporate offices in every other sector make up the rest.
Professional associations: International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), which runs the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) credential.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much does an administrative assistant make in the US?

Administrative assistants and secretaries, except legal, medical and executive, earn a median annual wage of $47,540, or $22.86 an hour. The lowest-paid 10% earn less than $33,280 and the top 10% more than $66,350. Pay is highest in the District of Columbia ($59,910), Massachusetts ($57,940) and Washington ($57,330).

Are administrative assistant jobs going away?

They are shrinking but not disappearing. Employment of general administrative assistants and secretaries is projected to decline 6% over the next decade, a loss of about 114,100 jobs, because AI systems and digital tools let staff prepare their own documents. Still, about 163,900 openings are expected each year as current workers retire or change careers, and medical secretaries are projected to grow.

How do I become an administrative assistant with no experience?

Most people start with a high school diploma and strong computer skills, then learn the job in a few weeks of on-the-job training. No prior work experience is typically needed. Short office administration courses at a community college, a Microsoft Office Specialist certification or temporary agency assignments can help you show employers you know word processing and spreadsheets.

Do you need a degree to be an administrative assistant?

No. A high school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level requirement, and a bachelor's degree is typically not required. Some assistants do hold degrees in business, education or communications, and employers may prefer college courses or a degree for executive assistant jobs. Optional credentials such as the IAAP's Certified Administrative Professional can help later in the career.

Which states pay administrative assistants the most?

The District of Columbia has the highest median wage for general administrative assistants at $59,910, followed by Massachusetts at $57,940 and Washington at $57,330. California has the most jobs, 158,630, with a median of $55,400. Texas has 149,650 jobs and a median of $45,140, and New York has 122,490 jobs and a median of $49,600.

Can administrative assistants work remotely?

Some can, but most cannot work fully remote. Most administrative assistants work in offices, while some work from their own homes as virtual assistants. Jobs built around email, scheduling and documents are the easiest to do remotely. Roles that include greeting visitors, handling mail, supplies and office equipment, or a school front desk require being on site.

What is the difference between an administrative assistant and an executive assistant?

An administrative assistant supports a team or office; an executive assistant gives high-level support to one or a few top executives. Executive assistants often review incoming documents, conduct research, prepare reports and supervise clerical staff, and they typically need several years of administrative experience. Executive assistant employment is projected to show little change over the next decade, against a 6% decline for general administrative assistants.

What does an administrative assistant do?

An administrative assistant handles the routine clerical and organizational work that keeps an office running. Typical duties are answering phones, greeting visitors, scheduling appointments and meetings, preparing memos and reports, maintaining files and databases, handling mail, ordering supplies and doing basic bookkeeping. In a school, the job also covers communication with parents and keeping student records.

Explore further

Related professions

In depth

All about administrative assistant

The background, context and details.

What the title covers in US statistics

Secretaries and administrative assistants are split into four occupations. This page covers the largest one, 43-6014, secretaries and administrative assistants except legal, medical and executive, which holds 1,889,800 jobs. Common job titles in the group include administrative assistant, administrative specialist, department secretary, office assistant and staff assistant. Executive assistants (489,300 jobs), medical secretaries (979,000) and legal secretaries (157,600) are counted separately. The split matters for your plans: over the next decade, medical secretaries are projected to grow 5%, executive assistants to show essentially no change, and this general group to decline 6%.

Watch out for this when you compare figures. Headline figures of a median of $48,310 and 3,515,600 jobs combine all four groups. The figures on this page, a median of $47,540 and 1,889,800 jobs, cover only the general group.

How the job differs by setting

Across all secretaries and administrative assistants, healthcare and social assistance is the largest employer at 32% of jobs, followed by educational services at 13%, professional, scientific and technical services at 11% and government at 8%. In a school, the front office secretary is the hub for parents, students, teachers and the principal, handling attendance, enrollment and student records on a schedule that follows the school calendar. In a law, accounting or engineering firm, the work leans toward documents, billing and client scheduling. In government, expect more forms, records rules and formal procedures. In a small business, one assistant may also handle bookkeeping, purchasing and basic IT problems. Each setting uses its own systems, and that experience is what makes you valuable to the next employer in the same sector.

Pay and where it is higher

The national median is $47,540, or $22.86 an hour. The middle half earn between $38,830 and $58,000, the lowest-paid 10% less than $33,280 and the top 10% more than $66,350.

California has the most jobs (158,630, median $55,400), followed by Texas (149,650, median $45,140), New York (122,490, median $49,600), Florida (104,000, median $45,900) and Illinois (74,280, median $48,310). The highest medians are in the District of Columbia ($59,910), Massachusetts ($57,940) and Washington ($57,330). For comparison, the medians are $38,010 for receptionists, $45,010 for general office clerks and $50,670 for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks, all jobs that assistants often move between.

What employers look for on a resume

Software skills come first. High school graduates who are comfortable with word processing and spreadsheet programs typically qualify for entry-level jobs. Tools employers mention in postings include Intuit QuickBooks, SAP Concur, Slack, Atlassian Jira and Salesforce. If you have used any of these, name them. A Microsoft Office Specialist certification can back up spreadsheet and document skills when you have little experience.

The rest of the resume should show reliability and judgment. 93% of workers talk on the phone every day, 93% use email every day and 87% are in constant contact with others, so employers look for evidence that you communicate clearly and stay organized under constant interruptions. Concrete examples help: the calendar you managed for several people, the filing system you set up, the event you organized. For executive assistant jobs later on, employers may prefer some college courses or a bachelor's degree, plus several years of administrative experience.

The honest outlook

This is a shrinking occupation. A loss of about 114,100 jobs is projected over the next decade, and the reason is clear: technology, including AI systems and digital tools, lets staff in many organizations prepare their own documents without the help of an assistant. The routine parts of the job, typing, data entry, simple scheduling and form letters, are the most exposed. The assistants who stay in demand handle people and problems well, know their employer's systems deeply, and take on work such as event planning, vendor management or bookkeeping. Openings will keep coming, about 163,900 a year, because many current workers will retire or move on, but competition for the better-paid jobs is likely to rise. One more downside to weigh: the work is sedentary, and 69% of workers spend their time sitting continually or almost continually.