How to hire an administrative aide

How to hire an administrative aide, step by step

Here's a step-by-step administrative aide hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an administrative aide job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new administrative aide
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an administrative aide do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an administrative aide, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An administrative aide's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, administrative aides from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of administrative aides.

   Type of Administrative Aide	Description	Hourly rate
   Administrative Aide	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$14-23
   Department Secretary	A department secretary is responsible for providing administrative and clerical support to a specific department, ensuring smooth operations to maintain high-quality services to the customers and business partners. Department secretaries should have excellent knowledge of office management principles, especially on data processing procedures and customer service processes... Show more	$12-22
   Aide	Aides are personal employees of their clients who commonly have health issues that render them unable to do certain tasks. They help out their clients with activities they may need assistance in... Show more	$10-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Word Processing
   • Proofreading
   • Data Entry
   • Clerical Support
   • Database Management
   • Payroll
   • Office Equipment
   • Front Desk
   • PowerPoint
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Financial Aid
   • HR
   • Telephone Calls

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Support medical doctors, manage sensitive and confidential records pertaining to high risk patients with emphasis on accuracy.
   • Job costing (normal), A/R.
   • Design charts for GBR-P and UEWR manuals using Powerpoint for the radar group.
   • Reconcile A/R and A/P; contact vendors and customers to resolve account discrepancies.
   • Design and prepare PowerPoint presentations.
   • Process payroll for the department maintaining accuracy on all documentation.

   More administrative aide duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your administrative aide job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An administrative aide can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, administrative aides' average salary in oklahoma is 46% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level administrative aides 38% less than senior-level administrative aides.
   • Certifications. An administrative aide with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an administrative aide's salary.

   Average administrative aide salary

   $38,714yearly

   $18.61 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level administrative aide salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 17, 2026

   Average administrative aide salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$53,708	$26
   2	California	$50,319	$24
   3	North Dakota	$48,660	$23
   4	Massachusetts	$47,294	$23
   5	New York	$47,020	$23
   6	Nebraska	$44,683	$21
   7	Oregon	$44,408	$21
   8	Wisconsin	$43,283	$21
   9	Illinois	$42,801	$21
   10	Virginia	$41,913	$20
   11	Maryland	$39,839	$19
   12	Pennsylvania	$39,435	$19
   13	New Mexico	$38,649	$19
   14	Michigan	$38,554	$19
   15	Nevada	$37,712	$18
   16	Texas	$36,860	$18
   17	Tennessee	$36,120	$17
   18	Florida	$30,654	$15

   Average administrative aide salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Columbia University in the City of New York	$49,541	$23.82	28
   2	New York University	$46,327	$22.27	10
   3	General Dynamics	$42,757	$20.56	19
   4	Empire Today	$41,064	$19.74
   5	City of Houston	$40,971	$19.70	6
   6	City of Pittsburgh	$40,615	$19.53
   7	Howard County Government	$40,257	$19.35
   8	University of Nevada, Reno	$40,122	$19.29	6
   9	Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago	$39,954	$19.21
   10	Town of Windsor	$39,387	$18.94	2
   11	City of Cape Coral	$38,292	$18.41	2
   12	Meridian Bank	$38,085	$18.31
   13	Livingston County	$36,713	$17.65
   14	Michigan Technological University	$36,659	$17.62
   15	Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation	$36,321	$17.46	1
   16	Health Research, Inc.	$35,783	$17.20	3
   17	Staffing Resources	$35,633	$17.13
   18	State of Nevada Employees' Association Inc	$35,312	$16.98
   19	Prince George's County Police	$34,696	$16.68
   20	Electric	$34,696	$16.68	3

4. Writing an administrative aide job description

   A good administrative aide job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an administrative aide job description:

   Administrative aide job description example

   Rockville Swim and Fitness Center is recruiting for energetic, tech-savvy, customer service-oriented candidates who have flexible work availability (including days, afternoons, evenings, weekends), with preference for candidates available to work a variety of shifts as, some as early as 5:30 am. There may be opportunities for successful candidates to continue work in a part time "school-year" position and/or begin work sooner based on operation needs.
   Essential Job Functions
   
   Front desk and customer service duties which includes answering telephones, answering questions in a professional manner, acting as receptionist, generating reports and statistics, handling evaluations, and processing fees and payments. May be required to learn the city-wide computerized registration system, which includes selling of merchandise, memberships, lessons, and admissions, processing payments, and generating and balancing daily cash reports. Candidates will also be responsible for processing reservation requests for facility use. Responsible for light facility maintenance including cleaning duties. Performs other duties as assigned. Works alone or under direct supervision.
   
   Office administration duties which include drafting a variety of documents under the direction of the supervisor, proofreading typed and other materials for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with policies of the assigned area, operating various office machines and word/data processing equipment as required, organizes and maintains files and records, and tracks the processing and issuing of official documents. Performs/coordinates specialized projects in support of the assigned area, as well as performing other duties as assigned including cross-training to work in other areas of the facility's operations.
   
   Qualifications
   
   QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS:
   
   Possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Must be proficient with computer usage, as well with programs such as the Microsoft office suite. May be required to possess or obtain CPR/AED/First Aid certifications. Ability to operate the City's registration system.
   
   EXPERIENCE:
   
   Customer service, cashier, office administration or secretarial experience preferred but not required.
   
   EDUCATION:
   
   High school student and/or at least 16 years of age. High school graduate or GED preferred.
   
   As a condition of employment, all new hires, including part-time, temporary and seasonal employees, reporting to the worksite, as well as working remotely, are required to have received at least the first dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine prior to their start date. New hires will be required to receive any additional doses (including the booster shot) of the COVID-19 vaccine in a manner and schedule consistent with the current CDC guidelines. Weekly COVID-19 testing will be required until fully vaccinated.
   
   New hires, except individuals who have worked for the City any time after October 8, 2021, may submit a request for a religious or medical accommodation (exemption). All requests will be reviewed and evaluated on a case-by-case basis. New hires will be required to submit weekly COVID-19 test results if they are approved for a medical or religious accommodation (exemption).
   
   Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
   
   Knowledge of customer service techniques and ability to communicate efficiently. Skills in operating PC's and ability to learn how to use a variety of software programs.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find administrative aides for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any administrative aides they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level administrative aides with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your administrative aide job on Zippia to find and recruit administrative aide candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit administrative aides, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new administrative aide

   Once you've selected the best administrative aide candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an administrative aide?