How to Become an Administrative Specialist

It takes 4 years of professional experience to become an administrative specialist. That is the time it takes to learn specific administrative specialist skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 7 to 9 years years to become an administrative specialist.

Yes, you need a degree to be an administrative specialist. However, some employers may only ask for a high school diploma and instead offer on-the-job training.

In general, those with higher degrees can earn more. Those with a master's degree can earn an average salary of $46,914 compared to those with just a high school diploma at around $42,256. Most commonly, administrative specialists have an associate's or bachelor's degree in business, but they can also have related fields like accounting.

The most common colleges to become one are through the University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and the University of South Carolina - Columbia. Some of the best colleges are Western Carolina University in North Carolina, Stanford University in California, and Ball State University in Indiana.

An administrative specialist at Facebook makes around $64,295 annually. In general, the technology industry pays administrative specialists the most, with the salary ranging anywhere between $34,000 to $80,000.

As most jobs go, factors like location, education, and experience can determine your exact salary.

Entry-level positions typically start on the lower salary range, whereas senior-level positions usually earn on the higher range, making close to six-figure salaries. Those with a master's degree can generally make around $6,000 more than those with a high school diploma.

Administrative support specialists provide support in the office, such as management, clerical tasks, and back-office duties. They are professionals who keep the office running smoothly by doing a variety of tasks.

Administrative support specialists typically manage the purchasing and inventory of office supplies as well as schedule the maintenance of office equipment.

They serve as a liaison for executives by screening incoming calls and emails, sorting mails, and setting appointments with employees, customers, and vendors. Additionally, they usually also draft memos and edit report proposals and other business documents.

Some examples of their responsibilities include creating PowerPoint presentations for meetings and training, generating reports, and maintaining the distribution of fax/phone/email/postal mail communication.

Administrative expertise has the skills and knowledge to keep an office running smoothly. For example, an administrative specialist will handle things like clerical staff, paperwork, arrange schedules, manage correspondence, and attend to customer inquiries.

In general, those with administrative expertise are called administrative specialists and are in charge of various clerical tasks to support supervisors and management staff. Their responsibility is to act as the main point of contact among clients and may deal with inquiries, complaints, and issues.

Additionally, they may arrange appointments and travel, manage payroll, and keep an organized database. Furthermore, an administrative specialist can also conduct research and analysis, prepare reports and other forms of documentation, and coordinate workflow in a particular area.

So, having administrative expertise is not only about having strong customer service and communication but also knowledge of office procedures, data entry, and logistics.

An administrative management specialist is an expert in providing support in the office to keep business running smoothly. It is closely related to titles like administrative specialists and hold similar responsibilities, although they may handle larger operations and have higher-level duties.

For example, an administrative specialist is a professional that specializes in administrative tasks to support supervisors and management staff. Their responsibility is typically to act as the main point of contact among clients, and they may deal with inquiries, complaints, and issues.

Additionally, they may arrange appointments and travel, manage payroll, and keep an organized database. Furthermore, they can also conduct research and analysis, prepare reports and other forms of documentation, and coordinate workflow in a particular area.

As an administrative management specialist, depending on the company, you may hold higher responsibilities. For example, in general, the occupation of an administrative manager oversees the work of the entire administrative staff at a company or organization.

They set goals, delegate, and coordinate tasks, organize schedules, manage databases, and create reports on administrative processes.

So, an administrative management specialist may have all or some of these combined duties of an administrative specialist and administrative management.

The highest-paying administrative job is a hospital administrator. Administrative responsibilities will vary with the specific type of company or work being done.

The annual average salary for a hospital administrator is approximately $111,000. This salary reflects the administrator's responsibility to operate all areas of a hospital efficiently. Similarly, the average salary of a city administrator is approximately $94,000 annually. Both positions represent large operations with many departments that must work effectively.

Government administrators also earn an annual salary of approximately $111,000. This is another field that requires the integration of multiple departments, managers, and employees. Over 68% of government administrators earn more than the national average salary.

To become an administrator, you should study business or accounting. Administrators typically have an associate's or bachelor's degree, but those with just a high school diploma can also enter the occupation.

In general, those with a higher degree can earn more. Those with a bachelor's degree can earn an average salary of $36,281 compared to those with just a high school diploma at $34,213.

Some of the most common colleges to become an office administrator are the University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and DeVry University. Some of the best colleges are Western Carolina University in North Carolina, Stanford University in California, and Ball State University in Indiana.

To boost your qualifications, you can obtain certifications. For example, a common one is the IPMA - Certified Professional (IPMA-CP) by the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR).