How do I start a career in administration?

You start a career in administration with a two or four-year college degree. While there are several ways to enter into business administration, a college degree or certification is required.

What are administrative support skills?

Administrative support skills are technological savvy, written and verbal communication, organization, time management, strategic planning, resourcefulness, and detail-oriented. Someone in an administrative support role should have the technical skills to perform common duties such as data entry, which requires a keen eye for detail to catch any mistakes.

What is the highest-paying administrative job?

The highest-paying administrative job is a hospital administrator. Administrative responsibilities will vary with the specific type of company or work being done. The annual average salary for a hospital administrator is approximately $111,000. This salary reflects the administrator's responsibility to operate all areas of a hospital efficiently. Similarly, the average salary of a city administrator is approximately $94,000 annually. Both positions represent large operations with many departments that must work effectively.

What is the role of admin support?

The role of admin support is to assist with clerical and administrative processes. Admin support can work in various industries and levels within a company. Admin support positions assist management and visitors to the company by handling office tasks, providing polite and professional assistance via phone, mail, and e-mail, making reservations or travel arrangements, and generally being a helpful and positive presence in the workplace.

What is an administrative support and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

An administrative support provides assistance to executives, managers, and other professionals in an office or business setting. Their responsibilities may include answering phone calls, organizing and maintaining files, scheduling appointments and meetings, making travel arrangements, and handling correspondence. They may also be responsible for managing office supplies and equipment, greeting visitors, and preparing reports. Administrative support professionals play a critical role in ensuring the smooth functioning of an office or organization.

What general advice would you give to an Administrative Support?

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

Professor, West Virginia State University

I would say it's important to be very attentive to the way you communicate with your employers, managers, and co-workers. Even sending an e-mail can be an opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism and communication skills. Some people think that no one knows how to write anymore, or how to communicate in a professional way. I don't think that's true. But we don't always think about how our writing can be a tool to communicate our competence and seriousness. If you know how to write and communicate professionally-which college grads do-then make sure to demonstrate that in the workplace.

ScoreAdministrative SupportUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,692

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.0

Growth Rate -8%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 3.80%

Black or African American 9.10%

Hispanic or Latino 15.94%

Unknown 3.87%

White 66.57%

Gender

female 79.61%

male 20.39%

Age - 52

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 52

Stress Level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.4

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.6

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an Administrative Support?

Pros

Can develop strong relationships with colleagues
Opportunity to be involved in decision-making processes
Can provide a sense of stability and job security
Can work in a variety of industries
Can offer opportunities for professional development

Cons

May have limited upward mobility within the organization
May involve working long hours or on weekends
Can involve dealing with difficult clients or coworkers
May involve performing tasks that are not related to job duties
Can involve being responsible for tasks that others may view as menial or unimportant

Key steps to become an administrative support

Explore administrative support education requirements

Most common administrative support degrees

Bachelor's

49.2 %

Associate

24.4 %

High School Diploma

12.1 %

Start to develop specific administrative support skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	18.06%
Administrative Tasks	8.12%
Data Entry	6.30%
Payroll	6.14%
Phone Calls	5.54%

Complete relevant administrative support training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New administrative supports learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an administrative support based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real administrative support resumes.

Gain additional administrative support certifications

Administrative support certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific administrative support certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for administrative supports include Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).

More About Certifications

Research administrative support duties and responsibilities

Manage company finances using QuickBooks software, including monitoring the operating budget and collecting on unpaid invoices.
Interview veterans to determine issues/concerns and recommend services.
Mail VA benefits correspondence to veterans and various organizations.
Prepare payroll packages for distribution and delivery, including collating and packing of documents.

Prepare your administrative support resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your administrative support resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an administrative support resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Administrative Support Resume templates

Build a professional Administrative Support resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Administrative Support resume.