How to hire an administrative assistant

How to hire an administrative assistant, step by step

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

What does an administrative assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the administrative assistant you need to hire. Certain administrative assistant 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's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, administrative assistants 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.

   Here's a comparison of administrative assistant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Administrative Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Administrative Assistant	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$12-22

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Data Entry
   • PowerPoint
   • Travel Arrangements
   • Database Management
   • Word Processing
   • Office Equipment
   • Provides Administrative Support
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Purchase Orders
   • Telephone Calls
   • Expense Reports
   • Front Desk
   • HR

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage time and attendance using Kronos software for entire department.
   • Participate in national projects, manage new customer conversions to MCI from other carriers.
   • Manage FEDEX delivery requirements ensuring compliance with company policy.
   • Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
   • Manage company finances using QuickBooks software, including monitoring the operating budget and collecting on unpaid invoices.
   • Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.

   More administrative assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your administrative assistant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An administrative assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an administrative assistant in West Virginia may be lower than in California, and an entry-level administrative assistant usually earns less than a senior-level administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average administrative assistant salary

   $16.80hourly

   $34,945 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level administrative assistant salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average administrative assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$45,740	$22
   2	District of Columbia	$42,712	$21
   3	Massachusetts	$41,751	$20
   4	Washington	$40,000	$19
   5	New York	$39,868	$19
   6	Hawaii	$39,546	$19
   7	Oregon	$38,120	$18
   8	Minnesota	$37,767	$18
   9	Maryland	$37,256	$18
   10	Colorado	$35,577	$17
   11	Nevada	$35,514	$17
   12	Illinois	$35,346	$17
   13	Wisconsin	$34,270	$16
   14	Virginia	$33,868	$16
   15	Maine	$33,854	$16
   16	Pennsylvania	$33,624	$16
   17	Ohio	$33,293	$16
   18	Arizona	$33,146	$16
   19	Utah	$32,667	$16
   20	Iowa	$32,578	$16

   Average administrative assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Westfield State University	$62,426	$30.01	1
   2	Jefferson Lab	$60,468	$29.07
   3	Brookhaven National Laboratory	$60,150	$28.92
   4	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$60,020	$28.86	5
   5	Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research	$58,551	$28.15	1
   6	Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory	$57,347	$27.57
   7	iGATE Global Solutions	$55,987	$26.92
   8	RS&H	$53,958	$25.94	1
   9	General Dynamics Mission Systems	$53,626	$25.78
   10	Columbia University in the City of New York	$52,986	$25.47	30
   11	Collins Engineers	$51,798	$24.90
   12	Merrimack College	$51,754	$24.88	1
   13	Medical University of South Carolina	$51,386	$24.70	6
   14	Oracle	$50,976	$24.51	15
   15	Barnard College	$50,907	$24.47
   16	NRDC	$50,906	$24.47	2
   17	University of Massachusetts Boston	$50,383	$24.22	1
   18	ZS	$49,831	$23.96	2
   19	Stanford University	$49,738	$23.91	25
   20	Emory University	$49,662	$23.88	11

4. Writing an administrative assistant job description

   An administrative assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an administrative assistant job description:

   Administrative assistant job description example

   Do you love interacting with others, making connections, and helping people? Then you’re an excellent fit for the customer service representative position at our company! You’ll be responsible for responding to customer inquiries, mitigating service problems, and providing an exemplary customer experience. If this posting sounds like a job you’ll love, we highly encourage you to apply.
   Responsibilities Reply to incoming calls from customers including products and service questions, general information, and complaints Regularly meet with sales lead to receive the newest service and product knowledge Follow scripts when managing challenging customer issues and escalate to the appropriate party when needed Resolve customer complaints in a friendly and timely manner to ensure high customer satisfaction Provide thorough follow-ups to customer interactions, ensuring customer satisfaction Responsible for all agent onboarding and pipeline management Develop and streamline the transition processes for new Agents/Teams Servant Leadership Approach - Go above and beyond to help the agents and direct them to the resources available Lead Social Media management and marketing Keeper of the office - Walkthrough office daily and keep a clean and organized environment Have a technology-based mind with a desire to learn and utilize within the organization Communicate through email, phone, & social media platforms Qualifications Must have graduated high school, received a G.E.D. or equivalent Strong knowledge of customer interface and interaction Display strong communication skills, active listening skills, and personal skills Some college preferred Extraordinary people skills Leadership, management, and team-building skills Growth-minded and knowledge-based Coachable Problem-solving skills Proactive, positive attitude Knowledge of MS Word and Excel Above-average understanding of technology Track record of success in customer service Company DescriptionAbout Keller Williams Charleston
   
   Keller Williams is the #1 real estate company. Holding the top spot in agent count, units and sales volume, our sales force is one to be reckoned with. Home to the Tech-Enabled Agent, our business model equips agents with a technological edge and the ability to offer customers whatever they wish.
   
   Our Mission: To build careers worth having, businesses worth owning, lives worth living, experiences worth giving, and legacies worth leaving.
   
   Our Vision: To be the real estate company of choice for agents and their customers.
   
   Our Values: God, Family, then Business
   
   Your Career: You can have a career here. Not just a job. We want you to reach your highest potential. You decide what that is. Opportunities are plentiful and will be afforded to those that earn them.
   
   Our Commitment: We lead to the “whole-person”. We are committed to your financial health and well-being. This starts with our competitive pay, Keller Williams profit sharing, first-class training, coaching, and development, and more!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right administrative assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with administrative assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit administrative assistants who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with administrative assistant candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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

   Once you've decided on a perfect administrative assistant 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   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 assistant?