How to hire an administrative officer

How to hire an administrative officer, step by step

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

What does an administrative officer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   Type of Administrative Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Administrative Officer	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$19-49
   Officer	An officer is responsible for managing the daily operations of the assigned area, ensuring its peace and security by monitoring and reporting unusual and suspicious activities. Officers are the ones enforcing strict safety protocols and procedures to maintain the order within the premises... Show more	$12-49
   Administrator Secretary	Administrator secretaries are assistants to managers or higher officers in charge of administrative tasks. Their responsibilities include liaising with an organization's internal departments and in communicating with the general public... Show more	$12-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Veterans
   • Human Resources
   • Rehabilitation
   • Personnel Actions
   • Financial Management
   • Patients
   • Administrative Functions
   • EEO
   • Payroll
   • Administrative Procedures
   • PowerPoint
   • Logistics
   • Property Management
   • Federal Agencies

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Orchestrate special events and reservations; manage customer relations and provide exemplary service to all customers.
   • Assist veterans during registration and authentication processes.
   • Develop agendas and PowerPoint presentations for c-level executives.
   • Interview patients before surgery/examinations and inform patients of necessary requirements before procedures.
   • Schedule appointments and meetings and oversee all travel logistics for senior management.
   • Communicate with outside vendors for probationer's drug rehabilitation, domestic violence, and education.

   More administrative officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the administrative officer job description is a good way to get more applicants. An administrative officer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an administrative officer in Kansas may be lower than in Oregon, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level administrative officer. Additionally, an administrative officer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average administrative officer salary

   $64,338yearly

   $30.93 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level administrative officer salary

   $40,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average administrative officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$89,338	$43
   2	District of Columbia	$83,469	$40
   3	Massachusetts	$82,587	$40
   4	Oregon	$81,043	$39
   5	Hawaii	$74,134	$36
   6	Arizona	$72,701	$35
   7	Nevada	$71,701	$34
   8	New York	$71,316	$34
   9	Texas	$65,272	$31
   10	Maine	$63,051	$30
   11	New Mexico	$62,503	$30
   12	Louisiana	$60,730	$29
   13	Pennsylvania	$60,635	$29
   14	Maryland	$58,909	$28
   15	South Carolina	$58,741	$28
   16	Ohio	$58,367	$28
   17	Missouri	$57,697	$28
   18	Florida	$56,592	$27
   19	Alaska	$54,411	$26
   20	Georgia	$54,108	$26

   Average administrative officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	UBS	$119,315	$57.36	31
   2	Stifel Financial	$110,025	$52.90	3
   3	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$106,320	$51.12	182
   4	Food and Drug Law Institute	$99,387	$47.78
   5	Bank of America	$92,837	$44.63	142
   6	Alertus Technologies	$85,025	$40.88
   7	University of California	$80,741	$38.82	76
   8	Vanderbilt University Medical Center	$72,874	$35.04	16
   9	City of Philadelphia	$72,114	$34.67	8
   10	Tolleson Wealth Management	$71,303	$34.28
   11	PSI Pax	$70,813	$34.04
   12	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$69,827	$33.57	13
   13	The Home Depot	$69,486	$33.41	9
   14	UC Santa Barbara	$69,199	$33.27
   15	Department of Homeland Security	$65,874	$31.67	66
   16	Memorial Healthcare System	$65,743	$31.61	1
   17	United States Army Corps of Engineers	$63,223	$30.40
   18	Delaware Systems Technology, Inc.	$63,204	$30.39
   19	Maryland Department Of Business & Economic Development	$63,105	$30.34
   20	Federal Aviation Administration	$62,530	$30.06

4. Writing an administrative officer job description

   A good administrative officer 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 officer job description:

   Administrative officer job description example

   Job Specifications
   NATURE OF WORK:
   This is advanced administrative work in performing, planning, and coordinating various administrative activities in a central administrative division or special program or in performing specialized staff work of comparable responsibility in a county department or agency. Employees in this class are responsible for performing diversified administrative duties or specializing in assigned administrative work of a more complex nature. Duties or combinations of duties performed vary, depending on the department to which assigned. Some employees in the class are assigned to assist an administrative division head in a major operating department, performing a variety of administrative duties including budget preparation, purchasing, accounting maintenance and expenditure controls and related administrative work. Other incumbents carry out administrative activities of a varied nature as the administrative official in a small operating department. Supervision is exercised over clerical and technical employees who assist in various phases of administrative operations. In some program s incumbents specialize in complex work such as the conduct of detailed programs under contract to the county. Responsibilities typically include analyzing administrative problems and recommending solutions, developing revised procedure and policy recommendations for the department, and maintaining contact with management and supervisory personnel within or outside the agency. General supervision is received from an administrative superior who reviews work for conformity with established administrative and departmental policies and attainment of desired objectives through conferences and review of reports of operations.
   
   KNOWLEDGES, ABILITIES, AND SKILLS:
   
   Considerable knowledge of the principles of general management, public, and business administration and their application to governmental administration.
   Considerable knowledge of research techniques and the sources and availability of current information applicable to the area of assignment. Considerable knowledge of policies and procedures used in budget preparation, monitoring, and reporting.
   Considerable knowledge of applicable federal, state, and county laws relating to departmental operations.
   Considerable knowledge of departmental legal, administrative, and procedural regulations.
   Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of modern office administration.
   Considerable knowledge of federal, state, and county laws, rules, and regulations relating to financial records of county departments and agencies funded by grants.
   Knowledge of basic accounting principles, practices, and procedures and their application to governmental computerized accounting systems.
   Knowledge of the use of data processing and cost accounting systems.
   Knowledge of inventory control and county procurement procedures. Knowledge of the principles, practices, and procedures of public personnel administration.
   Knowledge of supervisory principles and practices.
   Ability to analyze a variety of administrative problems and make sound recommendations as to their solution.
   Ability to supervise a staff of subordinate employees in a manner conducive to full performance and high morale.
   Ability to exercise judgment and discretion in devising, installing, and interpreting departmental rules, regulations, and procedures.
   Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, supervisors, departmental officials, officials of other agencies, and the general public.
   Ability to express ideas clearly, concisely, verbally, and in writing.
   Ability to analyze expenditures in relation to established budgets and furnish detailed information to management and supervisory personnel.
   Ability to evaluate operating programs in relation to established goals and objectives and recommend courses of action.
   Ability to supervise and prepare a variety of required reports accurately and completely and on a timely basis.
   
   #WSHMG1
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right administrative officer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting administrative officers 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 officer

   Once you've decided on a perfect administrative officer 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new administrative officer. 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 officer?