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How to hire an administrative office specialist

Administrative office specialist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring administrative office specialists in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire an administrative office specialist is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per administrative office specialist on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 1,603,598 administrative office specialists in the US and 96,945 job openings.
  • Minneapolis, MN, has the highest demand for administrative office specialists, with 4 job openings.
  • Saint Paul, MN has the highest concentration of administrative office specialists.

How to hire an administrative office specialist, step by step

To hire an administrative office specialist, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire an administrative office specialist, you should follow these steps:

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

What does an administrative office specialist do?

An administrative office specialist helps offices to run efficiently and smoothly by performing clerical support tasks. Their responsibilities often include preparing and processing documents, arranging meetings and appointments, monitoring the budgets and expenditures, answering calls and correspondence, handling the inventory and procurement of office supplies, and developing strategies to optimize office operations. They may also address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and professionally. Furthermore, as an administrative office specialist, it is essential to coordinate staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Learn more about the specifics of what an administrative office specialist does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your administrative office specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an administrative office specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an administrative office specialist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an administrative office specialist that fits the bill.

    The following list breaks down different types of administrative office specialists and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Administrative Office SpecialistDescriptionHourly rate
    Administrative Office SpecialistSecretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.$13-20
    Office WorkerAn office worker is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the daily operations of the business. Office workers assist in receiving calls to respond to the clients' inquiries and concerns, as well as welcoming visitors, verifying their appointments, and leading them to the appropriate personnel and department for their business needs... Show more$11-34
    Office AideAlso called an office assistant, an office aide is someone whose responsibility focuses on secretarial and administrative tasks in health practices, schools, businesses, or any other institution. Office aides help with logistical and clerical needs like copying files, curating schedules, and answering phones... Show more$10-17
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Customer Service
    • Data Entry
    • Word Processing
    • Payroll
    • PowerPoint
    • Phone Calls
    • HR
    • Front Desk
    • Travel Arrangements
    • Provides Administrative Support
    • Database Management
    • Office Management
    • Clerical Support
    • Office Equipment
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Participate in committee meetings by preparing minutes and presentation summaries, planning meeting agendas, and organizing and managing meeting logistics.
    • Develop PowerPoint presentations for seminars and workshops.
    • Prepare briefings for senior level management using Microsoft PowerPoint.
    • Prepare bi-weekly payroll reports and special cost analyses and forecasting.
    • Coordinate accessibility into main office building along with identification badge and process direct deposit via state guidelines for payroll.
    • Coordinate travel arrangements in DTS; schedule mode of transportation, prepare trip folders, arrange lodging reservations and develop itineraries.
    More administrative office specialist duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your administrative office specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An administrative office specialist salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, administrative office specialists' average salary in georgia is 37% less than in alaska.
    • Seniority. Entry-level administrative office specialists earn 35% less than senior-level administrative office specialists.
    • Certifications. An administrative office specialist 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 specialist's salary.

    Average administrative office specialist salary

    $35,177yearly

    $16.91 hourly rate

    Entry-level administrative office specialist salary
    $28,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 23, 2026

    Average administrative office specialist salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Washington$42,596$20
    2California$42,279$20
    3Illinois$41,777$20
    4Oregon$40,101$19
    5Texas$39,965$19
    6Minnesota$39,703$19
    7Colorado$38,087$18
    8Utah$37,700$18
    9Wisconsin$36,498$18
    10Arizona$35,713$17
    11Maine$34,493$17
    12New York$34,056$16
    13Maryland$33,708$16
    14Florida$32,212$15
    15North Carolina$31,294$15
    16Tennessee$30,820$15
    17Virginia$29,602$14
    18Arkansas$28,927$14
    19South Carolina$28,211$14

    Average administrative office specialist salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1University of California-Berkeley$45,390$21.821
    2Crowe$42,666$20.51
    3New York State Restaurant Association$42,262$20.32
    4JPMorgan Chase & Co.$41,186$19.80111
    5King County$40,596$19.524
    6Minnesota State Fair$39,378$18.9315
    7University of Wisconsin System$38,434$18.4830
    8University Of Minnesota Physicians$37,836$18.19
    9Muckleshoot Casino$37,387$17.971
    10City of Greeley$36,590$17.594
    11State Of Illinois - Illinois Student Assistance Commission$36,541$17.5745
    12Hospital for Special Surgery$36,075$17.342
    13Software Technology$36,074$17.34
    14Community Action Organization$35,727$17.183
    15Northern Tier$34,883$16.77
    16RubinBrown$34,356$16.524
    1722nd Century Technologies$33,720$16.212
    18HSS$33,663$16.18
    19Virginia's Community Colleges$33,295$16.0112
    20University of Maine System$31,528$15.16
  4. Writing an administrative office specialist job description

    An administrative office specialist 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 office specialist job description:

    Administrative office specialist job description example

    How brave are you? We are a high-tech company providing machine tools and laser technology, and are looking for people who can face new challenges with a fresh mind. As an independent family company, we offer you the freedom and trust to put your brave ideas into practice. With you on board, we would like to power ahead with the digital networking of the manufacturing industry. Our passion and creative drive ensure that we are an innovative force - across the globe at over 70 TRUMPF locations.

    This position supports a satellite office location at one of of our key, customer accounts. This person will support various office administration duties, order processing, shipping & stock management, facility and general maintenance service coordination. In addition to administration duties, this person will also support our technical teams (Field Service and Applications) from time-to-time, by assisting with on site analytics for our equipment. This assistance will be supported using remote analytic tools such as Face-Time and Smart glasses.

    Flexibility to support diversified tasks and strong communication skill. Very good computer skills, including usage of SAP and MS office applications. This person will also have the physical ability to handle logistic duties such as moving of inventory products, organizing the warehouse, and operation of a forklift.
    Primary responsibilities:

    Office Administration

    Maintain company documents and electronic filing
    Purchase and maintain office equipment and general office supplies
    Answer telephone calls and emails, receiving and directing visitors, word processing, filing
    Distribute mail, send and receive packages; including managing vendor files and relations
    Provide administrative support for internal and external events, including trade shows & customer meetings
    Fulfill internal and external reporting requirements as assigned

    Order Processing, Service, Warehouse, Logistics Support, and Technical Analytics

    Work closely with internal employees on all logistics requirements and to support all logistics needs for the office
    Organize the warehouse, including operation of a forklift
    Package goods and arrange shipments with carriers; including receive goods for the office
    Support inventory management (demo stock, consignment stock, and spare parts etc.)
    Support inventory transactions with SAP, spare part quotes and service RMA generation
    Process all orders received from customers with SAP (including order registration, internal purchase order process, order status monitoring, delivery coordination and other)
    Support remote, technical analytics of company products with the assistance of a technical partner

    Requirements:

    2-5 years Customer Service experience

    Customer portal management experience strongly preferred

    5+ years in a manufacturing management setting with experience in WH management, Import/Export, inventory management, shipping, and warehousing.

    Microsoft Outlook, SAP and Excel proficiency required

    Understanding of Basic Electronics a strong plus

    Occasional travel may be required

    Personal skills:

    Excellent communication and solid decision-making skills

    The ideal candidate will have a strong continuous improvement / lean background and be able to utilize that skillset to improve customer and business metrics.

    Ability to work under limited supervision and complete assignments with limited instruction

    Assertive and highly self-motivated

    Proven skills in ownership of what it takes to achieve strong Customer satisfaction results

    TRUMPF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or other protected class.
  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find administrative office specialists for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your administrative office specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit administrative office specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with administrative office specialist 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 office specialist

    Once you've selected the best administrative office specialist 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.

    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.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new administrative office specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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 office specialist?

Recruiting administrative office specialists involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $35,177 per year for an administrative office specialist, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for administrative office specialists in the US typically range between $13 and $20 an hour.

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