How to hire an administrative office assistant

How to hire an administrative office assistant, step by step

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

What does an administrative office assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The administrative office assistant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect administrative office assistant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

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

   Type of Administrative Office Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Administrative Office Assistant	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$12-20
   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:

   • Customer Service
   • Data Entry
   • Phone Calls
   • Payroll
   • PowerPoint
   • Database Management
   • Office Equipment
   • Word Processing
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Front Desk
   • Travel Arrangements
   • Purchase Orders
   • Office Support
   • Financial Statements

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop and manage external financial relationships between clients and the IRS.
   • Manage the receptionist area, including greeting visitors and responding to telephone and in-person requests for information.
   • Establish and maintain effective communications and cohesive working relationships with company associates, telephone and walk-in customers, and site visitors.
   • Dust offices and clean windows and doors.
   • Update information in CATT database, as well as make appointments for therapists and psychiatrists in Sharepoint.
   • Create electronic filing system to alleviate paper copies and recruit fellow co-workers to get on board with SharePoint.

   More administrative office assistant duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, administrative office assistants' average salary in arkansas is 45% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level administrative office assistants earn 42% less than senior-level administrative office assistants.
   • Certifications. An administrative office assistant 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 office assistant's salary.

   Average administrative office assistant salary

   $16.02hourly

   $33,318 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level administrative office assistant salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average administrative office assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$42,738	$21
   2	Washington	$41,604	$20
   3	Oregon	$40,863	$20
   4	Massachusetts	$38,379	$18
   5	Minnesota	$38,311	$18
   6	Illinois	$36,931	$18
   7	Colorado	$36,282	$17
   8	New York	$34,664	$17
   9	Maryland	$33,822	$16
   10	Virginia	$33,249	$16
   11	Nebraska	$33,152	$16
   12	Utah	$32,873	$16
   13	New Jersey	$32,738	$16
   14	Pennsylvania	$32,554	$16
   15	Arizona	$31,939	$15
   16	Texas	$31,718	$15
   17	Missouri	$31,669	$15
   18	Ohio	$30,906	$15
   19	Florida	$30,852	$15
   20	Georgia	$28,834	$14

   Average administrative office assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Buckley King	$92,027	$44.24
   2	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$60,794	$29.23	7
   3	Sandia National Labs	$57,569	$27.68
   4	Boston Public Schools	$53,317	$25.63
   5	University of Nevada, Reno	$47,487	$22.83	14
   6	Iowa Department of Transportation	$44,936	$21.60
   7	New York State Restaurant Association	$43,812	$21.06
   8	UMass Dartmouth	$43,394	$20.86	3
   9	Epiq	$43,154	$20.75	1
   10	Medical University of South Carolina	$42,295	$20.33	14
   11	Ameresco	$42,293	$20.33	1
   12	Beacon Hill Staffing Group	$42,038	$20.21
   13	Stanford University	$41,706	$20.05	17
   14	Georgetown University	$41,679	$20.04	2
   15	State of West Virginia	$41,531	$19.97	93
   16	Morehouse School of Medicine	$41,273	$19.84	1
   17	Seattle Pacific University	$41,166	$19.79
   18	Stronghold Engineering	$40,679	$19.56	1
   19	United Service Technologies	$40,618	$19.53	3
   20	Washington State University	$40,262	$19.36	5

4. Writing an administrative office assistant job description

   An administrative office 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. Below, you can find an example of an administrative office assistant job description:

   Administrative office assistant job description example

   Job Position: Service Specialist
   Job Type: Hourly
   Preferred Shift: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM (1-hour lunch, 37.5 hours per week, M-F
   
   Summary
   Epiq is currently seeking a Service Specialist to join our Boston team. This role will be critical in helping ensure multiple areas of administrative duties are fulfilled to successfully deliver on our service commitments in a timely and effective manner. Administrative duties may include things like handling and distributing mail, copying, printing, hospitality, backup reception, filing, or other services defined or outlined in Epiq's service agreement with the client.
   
   Responsibilities
   Mail Services include metering, sorting, and distributing mail (Digital Mail) and accountable packages per schedule Copy Services includes accurately producing copy, print, and scan projects per written instructions Reception (back up) includes answering incoming telephone calls and routing to the appropriate person, will greet and announce visitors in a friendly and professional manner Hospitality Services include coordination and upkeep of client conference rooms, common areas, and kitchens. Inspect and ensure that all rooms are clean, stocked with supplies, and ready for continual use. Organize and distribute client kitchen supplies. Maintain inventory control and order supplies as needed Floor Coordination includes the upkeep of copy rooms and stocking of general supplies, delivery of paper, and basic daily maintenance Facilities Services may include hanging pictures, small office moves, cleaning services, and communication with key client contacts regarding building/equipment concerns.
   
   Job Requirements
   High School Diploma or GED1+ work experience in a customer services field Ability to multitask with attention to detail Ability to resolve issues with professionalism and tact Ability to lift or move 40 lbs. or greater Ability to grasp, lift or carry packages on a standard wheeled cart with a load capacity of 75 lbs Ability to walk, bend, kneel, stand, or sit for extended periods of time Successful candidates must be fully vaccinated from COVID 19 as a condition of employment prior to the start date.
   
   If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!
   
   It is Epiq's policy to comply with all applicable equal employment opportunity laws by making all employment decisions without unlawful regard or consideration of any individual's race, religion, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expressions, transgender status, sexual and other reproductive health decisions, marital status, age, national origin, genetic information, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, veteran or family status or any other basis protected by applicable national, federal, state, provincial or local law. Epiq's policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on any of these impermissible bases, as well as any bases or grounds protected by applicable law in each jurisdiction. In addition Epiq will take affirmative action for minorities, women, covered veterans and individuals with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. Epiq is pleased to provide such assistance and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request. Pursuant to relevant law, where applicable, Epiq will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit administrative office assistants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 office assistant

   Once you've decided on a perfect administrative office 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new administrative office assistant. 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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How much does it cost to hire an administrative office assistant?