What Does an Administrative Assistant Do?
Keeping a department running is more work than most people realize and covers more than just answering the phone. The schedules, orders and records an administrative assistant keeps may save managers time, but more importantly they let staff, students and visitors in a university department, clinic or company office get what they need without waiting.
Also known as: Administrative Assistant I, Administrative Assistant II
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Administrative Assistant (Admin Assistant), Administrative Clerk, Administrative Secretary (Admin Secretary), Administrative Specialist (Admin Specialist), Administrative Support Assistant (ASA), Administrative Technician, Department Secretary, Office Assistant.
Administrative Assistant Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of an administrative assistant include:
- Manage calendars for a department head or several staff, and book rooms for meetings.
- Arrange travel and process reimbursements in line with the organization's travel policy.
- Order office supplies and equipment through purchasing systems and track deliveries.
- Draft routine letters, memos and meeting minutes, and proofread documents before they go out.
- Answer phone and email inquiries, redirecting those that need a manager or specialist.
- Keep paper and electronic files organized under the department's retention rules.
- Coordinate logistics for events, seminars and visitor schedules, including catering and parking.
- Enter timesheets, purchase requests or student records in systems such as Workday or Banner.
- Update the department's web pages, directories and shared drives when details change.
- Track the department's spending on supplies and services against its budget.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as an administrative assistant, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel
- Shared calendars in Microsoft Teams or Google Workspace
- Fast, accurate typing and proofreading
- Juggling several managers' requests without dropping any
- Discretion with personnel and student information
- Friendly phone and front-desk manner
- Basic purchasing and expense reporting
- Organizing files so others can find them
Education and Training
Most administrative assistants learn the job's systems through a few weeks of training at work, but some start out by taking office technology classes at a community college. A high school diploma is the usual requirement. You may reach the Level II title after a few years and an executive assistant or office manager post some years after that.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $38,830 - $58,000 per year, with a median of $47,540.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive.
BLS projects employment of secretaries and administrative assistants, other than legal, medical and executive ones, to decline about 6 percent from 2025 to 2035. Even with that decline, BLS expects roughly 163,900 openings a year, since so many people hold these jobs and many move on or retire. Versatile assistants fare best. Those who can handle purchasing, event planning and basic web updates are more likely to be kept on when offices trim support staff.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive.
Administrative Assistant Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $33,280 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $38,830 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $47,540 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $58,000 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $66,350 |
Highest-Paying States for Administrative Assistants
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are District of Columbia ($59,910), Massachusetts ($57,940), Washington ($57,330), Connecticut ($57,210), California ($55,400). Pay is lowest in Louisiana ($38,790), Arkansas ($37,630), Mississippi ($37,340).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $41,630 |
| Alaska | $48,530 |
| Arizona | $47,940 |
| Arkansas | $37,630 |
| California | $55,400 |
| Colorado | $48,690 |
| Connecticut | $57,210 |
| Delaware | $47,970 |
| District of Columbia | $59,910 |
| Florida | $45,900 |
| Georgia | $41,600 |
| Hawaii | $50,830 |
| Idaho | $43,710 |
| Illinois | $48,310 |
| Indiana | $44,270 |
| Iowa | $45,150 |
| Kansas | $42,270 |
| Kentucky | $44,200 |
| Louisiana | $38,790 |
| Maine | $49,820 |
| Maryland | $48,680 |
| Massachusetts | $57,940 |
| Michigan | $46,020 |
| Minnesota | $51,400 |
| Mississippi | $37,340 |
| Missouri | $43,540 |
| Montana | $43,940 |
| Nebraska | $46,760 |
| Nevada | $46,570 |
| New Hampshire | $48,080 |
| New Jersey | $50,260 |
| New Mexico | $46,450 |
| New York | $49,600 |
| North Carolina | $45,790 |
| North Dakota | $47,480 |
| Ohio | $46,230 |
| Oklahoma | $39,660 |
| Oregon | $51,740 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,270 |
| Rhode Island | $52,140 |
| South Carolina | $44,880 |
| South Dakota | $41,700 |
| Tennessee | $45,810 |
| Texas | $45,140 |
| Utah | $47,050 |
| Vermont | $48,920 |
| Virginia | $47,620 |
| Washington | $57,330 |
| West Virginia | $40,370 |
| Wisconsin | $47,710 |
| Wyoming | $45,450 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 97% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 93% spend more than half the workday sitting
- 93% are on the phone every day
- 93% use email every day
- 91% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 74% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 48% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 50% |
| Associate's degree | 22% |
| Bachelor's degree | 11% |
| Some college | 10% |
Tools and Software Administrative Assistants Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy organized work with data, records and clear procedures as well as leading, persuading and making business decisions.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Service Orientation, Time Management.
Knowledge areas used most: Administrative, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 2 of 5, which means some preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for an Administrative Assistant Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 43-6014.00 (Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.