How to hire an administrative support assistant

How to hire an administrative support assistant, step by step

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

What does an administrative support assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The administrative support 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 support 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 support assistant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Administrative Support Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Administrative Support Assistant	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$13-21
   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
   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

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Provides Administrative Support
   • Data Entry
   • Patients
   • Travel Arrangements
   • Phone Calls
   • PowerPoint
   • Background Checks
   • Payroll
   • Office Equipment
   • Reservations
   • Rehabilitation
   • Telephone Calls
   • Excellent Interpersonal

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Participate in committee meetings by preparing minutes and presentation summaries, planning meeting agendas, and organizing and managing meeting logistics.
   • Coordinate highly confidential and sensitive material relate to employee relations, payroll and personnel actions.
   • Complete diverse administrative tasks accurately and efficiently including verification of insurance information, payroll administration, and coordination of department meetings.
   • Create PowerPoint's of upcoming activities/events to distribute to departments/teams.
   • Interview patients and determine primary need of interest by providing assistance to other responsible personnel.
   • Maintain a database with confidential information regarding patients and providing medication for the HIV/AIDS section.

   More administrative support assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your administrative support assistant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An administrative support assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an administrative support assistant in Arkansas may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level administrative support assistant usually earns less than a senior-level administrative support assistant. Additionally, an administrative support assistant with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average administrative support assistant salary

   $36,341yearly

   $17.47 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level administrative support assistant salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 21, 2025

   Average administrative support assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$44,097	$21
   2	Alaska	$44,003	$21
   3	District of Columbia	$41,713	$20
   4	California	$41,575	$20
   5	Oregon	$41,371	$20
   6	Minnesota	$41,289	$20
   7	Massachusetts	$41,180	$20
   8	New York	$40,141	$19
   9	Maine	$38,678	$19
   10	Colorado	$38,314	$18
   11	Arizona	$38,309	$18
   12	New Mexico	$36,742	$18
   13	Wisconsin	$35,746	$17
   14	Texas	$34,395	$17
   15	South Dakota	$33,755	$16
   16	Florida	$33,115	$16
   17	Tennessee	$31,333	$15
   18	Oklahoma	$31,219	$15
   19	Georgia	$30,918	$15

   Average administrative support assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Brookhaven National Laboratory	$54,025	$25.97
   2	University of San Diego	$43,254	$20.80	7
   3	Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough	$42,743	$20.55	10
   4	New York State Restaurant Association	$41,739	$20.07
   5	Gaia Herbs	$41,206	$19.81
   6	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$40,859	$19.64
   7	Philips	$40,851	$19.64	4
   8	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	$40,769	$19.60
   9	Black & Veatch	$40,555	$19.50	31
   10	Gap Inc.	$40,034	$19.25
   11	Yale University	$39,877	$19.17	18
   12	Metropolitan	$39,825	$19.15
   13	National Park Foundation	$39,643	$19.06	1
   14	MDU Resources	$39,540	$19.01	1
   15	Belcan	$39,456	$18.97	2
   16	US Meat Animal Research Center	$39,373	$18.93
   17	Syracuse University	$39,304	$18.90	5
   18	Brown-Forman	$39,113	$18.80
   19	University of Nevada, Reno	$39,113	$18.80	7
   20	One Medical	$39,091	$18.79	21

4. Writing an administrative support assistant job description

   An administrative support 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. To help get you started, here's an example of an administrative support assistant job description:

   Administrative support assistant job description example

   BaseCamp Franchising is the foundational support organization for multiple franchise brands in multiple industries. BaseCamp is comprised of compound support teams staffed by dedicated and experienced professionals that together provide a visionary, systematic, and strategic structure upon which the success of its brands is based. It is an exciting time for our company and the brands we serve. Our concepts are growing in sales, exposure, and momentum.
   
   We are looking for a bright, lively and personable Administrative Assistant to serve our growing support team. This is a full-time salaried position requiring 40 hours per week of service. The ideal candidate has exceptional verbal communication skills, the ability to project professionalism both in person and over multiple media types can effectively manage multiple tasks, is organized, and service-minded. They will have proficiency in, and experience with, the Microsoft Office suite, internet, and social media, and standard office equipment.
   Please include a cover letter and a current resume with your application
   
   Specific tasks will include:
   Aid in support team data compilation and report generation. Assist with compiling training materials Coordinate training dates and assignments with franchisees Maintain files on the company server Coordinate and book support team travel.
   Required Skills:
   Exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Interpersonal acumen including the ability to build and maintain multiple, positive customer service relationships. Proficient with the Microsoft Office suite, Facebook, and other social media interfaces. Ability to manage multiple tasks.
   Experience:
   1 + years receptionist and/or office management experience.
   
   Kid to Kid is looking for smart, ambitious people to join our team and learn the children's resale business from the ground up. At Kid to Kid you'll increase your skills as you learn all about running a busy retail store - including selecting current and stylish products to purchase, merchandising that product for sale, managing inventory levels, creating social media content, and providing top notch customer experiences. We offer a flexible schedule to compliment your busy lifestyle, great employee discounts, and a high energy retail environment.
   
   You'll love being part of our sharing, caring community! Our eco-friendly, value oriented customers love us for our daily-changing selection, our value, and the convenience of selling their outgrown kids' items for cash on the spot. Kid to Kid puts money back into the local economy every day as we pay out "Cash for Kids' Stuff". Our product is locally sourced and sustainable. And each store donates hundreds of pounds of clothing to local charities each week - giving outgrown kids' stuff new life and new homes, and helping those in need.
   
   Apply to join our team today!
   
   Apply today!
   
   This franchise is independently owned and operated by a franchisee. Your application will go directly to the franchisee, and all hiring decisions will be made by the management of this franchisee. All inquiries about employment at this franchisee should be made directly to the franchise location, and not to BaseCamp Franchising Corporate.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find administrative support assistants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any administrative support assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level administrative support assistants with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit administrative support assistants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up 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 support assistant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the administrative support assistant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new administrative support assistant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 support assistant?