What Does an International Student Services Assistant Do?
Working the front desk of an international student office can be busy and, at times, emotional. As an international student services assistant you'll check in documents, book advising appointments and keep student files in order. This might involve passports, visa pages, arrival records or travel signature requests.
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.
International Student Services Assistant Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of an international student services assistant include:
- Greet students and visitors, answer phone and email questions, and route immigration cases to advisors.
- Scan passports, visas and arrival records into each student's electronic file.
- Book advising appointments and keep the office calendar clear during orientation weeks.
- Collect travel signature requests and prepare the documents for an advisor to sign.
- Enter new student arrivals and address changes into the case management system.
- Send reminder emails about check-in, insurance waivers and document deadlines.
- Assemble orientation packets and help staff airport pickups and welcome events.
- Order supplies, process small purchases and reconcile the office's card statements.
- Post announcements to the office website and the student newsletter.
- Draft enrollment verification letters for students applying for bank accounts, leases and licenses.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as an international student services assistant, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel
- Accurate scanning and file naming
- Warm, patient manner with people new to the country
- Clear spoken English, plus a second language if possible
- Discretion with passport and visa information
- Basic knowledge of F-1 and J-1 document types
- Juggling walk-ins, calls and email at once
- Knowing when to hand a question to an advisor
Education and Training
Most offices ask for a high school diploma, and many prefer some college. Experience at a hotel front desk or a busy reception could lead to this post. Language classes count in your favor too. With experience, you could progress from assistant to documentation coordinator or advisor, usually after earning a degree.
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.
According to BLS projections, jobs for secretaries and administrative assistants outside legal, medical and executive offices will fall about 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, partly as software takes over routine office tasks. Replacement needs still leave roughly 163,900 openings a year across the group. Bear in mind that you are more likely to stay in demand if you pick up immigration knowledge that general office staff do not have.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive.
International Student Services 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 International Student Services 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 International Student Services 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 International Student Services 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.