How to hire an administrative assistant/communications

How to hire an administrative assistant/communications, step by step

Here's a step-by-step administrative assistant/communications 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 assistant/communications job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new administrative assistant/communications
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an administrative assistant/communications do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the administrative assistant/communications you need to hire. Certain administrative assistant/communications roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An administrative assistant/communications's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, administrative assistants/communications 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 assistants/communications.

   Type of Administrative Assistant/Communications	Description	Hourly rate
   Administrative Assistant/Communications	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$13-21
   Administrative Support	Administrative support specialists provide different types of governmental assistance. They carry out varied clerical duties in almost all industries... Show more	$12-25
   Administrative Staff	As the administrative staff, they primarily provide administrative and secretarial support for the department. Typically, they do report-writing, filing and scheduling, and payroll... Show more	$27-48

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Entry
   • PowerPoint
   • Provides Administrative Support
   • Office Equipment
   • Expense Reports
   • Travel Arrangements
   • Word Processing
   • Office Management
   • Telephone Calls
   • Calendar Management
   • Purchase Orders
   • Payroll
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Front Desk

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage department's intranet through SharePoint.
   • Manage all employee payroll records/files and process all accounts payable/receivable.
   • Manage and coordinate complex internal and external meetings and/or events via videoconferencing, WebEx and teleconference calls.
   • Perform full-charge bookkeeping functions - accounts payable, account receivable, bank account reconciliation, payroll and payroll taxes.
   • Implement strategies that integrate IntraConnect with SharePoint intranet and collaboration.
   • Create executive PowerPoint presentations and develop campaigns for campus broadcasting system.

   More administrative assistant/communications duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your administrative assistant/communications job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An administrative assistant/communications salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, administrative assistants/communications' average salary in delaware is 40% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level administrative assistants/communications earn 36% less than senior-level administrative assistants/communications.
   • Certifications. An administrative assistant/communications with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an administrative assistant/communications's salary.

   Average administrative assistant/communications salary

   $35,363yearly

   $17.00 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level administrative assistant/communications salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

   Average administrative assistant/communications salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$43,046	$21
   2	Washington	$42,316	$20
   3	Massachusetts	$37,836	$18
   4	Virginia	$33,486	$16
   5	Texas	$33,421	$16
   6	Colorado	$32,598	$16
   7	Florida	$32,527	$16
   8	Tennessee	$31,834	$15
   9	Maryland	$31,677	$15
   10	Missouri	$30,780	$15
   11	New York	$29,817	$14
   12	North Carolina	$29,794	$14
   13	Pennsylvania	$29,685	$14
   14	Ohio	$29,141	$14

   Average administrative assistant/communications salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Northrop Grumman	$43,777	$21.05	16
   2	Bunker Hill Community College	$43,468	$20.90
   3	Curry College	$41,982	$20.18	3
   4	State Of South Dakota	$40,712	$19.57	20
   5	Sony Pictures	$40,248	$19.35	5
   6	University of Maryland Medical System	$38,943	$18.72	2
   7	Wounded Warrior Project	$37,545	$18.05	7
   8	Texas Department of Transportation	$37,518	$18.04	27
   9	Duke University Health System	$37,055	$17.81	20
   10	PeaceHealth	$36,503	$17.55	5
   11	Missouri State University	$35,942	$17.28	7
   12	Halff Associates	$35,857	$17.24
   13	Virginia's Community Colleges	$35,640	$17.13	29
   14	Kimley-Horn	$35,640	$17.13	10
   15	Comcast	$35,604	$17.12	6
   16	North Shore Community College	$35,013	$16.83
   17	CAE	$34,923	$16.79	1
   18	Colorado State Express	$34,375	$16.53
   19	Robert Half	$34,012	$16.35	321
   20	San Francisco Foundation	$33,799	$16.25

4. Writing an administrative assistant/communications job description

   A good administrative assistant/communications 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 assistant/communications job description:

   Administrative assistant/communications job description example

   Information on MIT's COVID-19 vaccination requirement can be found at the bottom of this posting.
   
   DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION (DEI) AND COMMUNICATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT , School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) , to perform complex and diverse administrative duties in support of the Deans Office team, with a particular focus on events, communications, and the activities of the assistant dean for diversity, equity, belonging (DEB) and student support. Responsibilities include scheduling complex meetings, drafting agendas, taking notes, and following up on action items; purchasing; performing financial transactions; gathering and analyzing information and data; supporting the execution of the SA+P advanced degree ceremony, including liaising with departments, ordering materials, scheduling work orders, reception planning, booking photographer, managing inquiries, etc.; organizing Deans Office-sponsored gatherings such as school-wide receptions and lunches with students; coordinating logistics for the Deans Lecture Series, including inviting speakers, planning travel and lodging for speakers, arranging honoraria, reserving venues, booking AV and video teams, helping with event promotion, and organizing dinners; coordinating/assisting with events for which the Deans Office has responsibility; creating graphic materials, e.g., flyers, signage, and invitations; collaborating on updating external/ internal webpages; designing presentation materials, including reports, slide decks, and newsletters; manipulating and presenting data using Excel and MIT databases; drafting, formatting, fact-checking, and proofreading correspondence and other content; and working with departments to coordinate the logistics of DEB events.
   
   Job Requirements
   
   REQUIRED : high school diploma or its equivalent; three years administrative, office, or related experience; experience planning and executing large- and small-scale events; collaborative approach to delivering services and solutions; strong analytical, organizational, and software skills; and an interest in furthering DEB in the SA+P community. Seek a self-motivated, flexible, well-organized, detail-oriented individual who is able to set and achieve priorities. PREFERRED : experience working with students, faculty, and staff. Job #21765-5
   
   This is a full-time (35 hrs/wk.) position.
   
   8/25/22
   
   recblid kbqwl0eovy69qswp4kzrn09590k2x4
   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find administrative assistants/communications 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 assistants/communications they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level administrative assistants/communications 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 assistant/communications job on Zippia to find and recruit administrative assistant/communications candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting administrative assistants/communications requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 assistant/communications

   Once you've decided on a perfect administrative assistant/communications candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new administrative assistant/communications. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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