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What is an administrative assistant/technical and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Anne McConnell Ph.D.
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If you want a mix of IT and clerical roles, you can pursue a career as a technical administrative assistant. Your main role would be to provide clerical support to IT organizations. Other tasks include managing office communications, editing technical documents, welcoming visitors, taking phone calls, and scheduling and organizing meetings.

Normally, employers searching for technical administrative assistants look for an associate's degree. With one year of computer experience and three years of office administration experience, you have an improved chance of getting the job of a technical administrative assistant.

Since it isn't a technical role, salary expectations are lower. Usually, you can earn around $17 an hour, or about $35,000 per year. Technical administrative assistant jobs are on the decline in the US so if you are looking for a stable career path, this might not be suitable for you.

What general advice would you give to an administrative assistant/technical?

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 Assistant/TechnicalUS Average
Salary
3.3

Avg. Salary $42,541

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.0

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 3.83%

Black or African American 9.26%

Hispanic or Latino 16.21%

Unknown 3.87%

White 66.11%

Gender

female 80.98%

male 19.02%

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

Administrative assistant/technical career paths

Key steps to become an administrative assistant/technical

  1. Explore administrative assistant/technical education requirements

    Most common administrative assistant/technical degrees

    Bachelor's

    47.5 %

    Associate

    27.1 %

    High School Diploma

    12.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific administrative assistant/technical skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients10.59%
    Data Entry8.25%
    PowerPoint7.85%
    Travel Arrangements5.26%
    Access Database4.69%
  3. Complete relevant administrative assistant/technical training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New administrative assistant/technicals 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 assistant/technical based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real administrative assistant/technical resumes.
  4. Gain additional administrative assistant/technical certifications

    Administrative assistant/technical 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 assistant/technical certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for administrative assistant/technicals include Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research administrative assistant/technical duties and responsibilities

    • Orchestrate special events and reservations; manage customer relations and provide exemplary service to all customers.
    • Perform numerous hardware/software installations, configuration/maintenance of windows OS systems and perpetual hardware.
    • Develop innovative PowerPoint presentation covers used by the cost engineers to market company services to clients.
    • Process patients upon arrival for schedule appointments, responsible for obtaining patients referral information and processing information into computer.
  6. Prepare your administrative assistant/technical resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your administrative assistant/technical 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 assistant/technical 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 assistant/technical resume templates

    Build a professional administrative assistant/technical 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 assistant/technical resume.
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    Administrative Assistant/Technical Resume
  7. Apply for administrative assistant/technical jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an administrative assistant/technical job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first administrative assistant/technical job

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Average administrative assistant/technical salary

The average administrative assistant/technical salary in the United States is $42,541 per year or $20 per hour. Administrative assistant/technical salaries range between $31,000 and $58,000 per year.

Average administrative assistant/technical salary
$42,541 Yearly
$20.45 hourly

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How do administrative assistant/technicals rate their job?

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Administrative assistant/technical reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2022
Pros

Writing a message,Organizing receipts and expenses and sending them out when needed

Cons

Failure to comply with working hours, theft and fraud,


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

It my passion to help people in need. It makes me feel good to see people the Youth do well in the life

Cons

I don't like to see anyone stuck in between and not being helped.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

everything except phones : Meeting,greeting, customer service, interviewing, on boarding, recruiting, presenting, etc.

Cons

phones - because of my accent


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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