How To Become A Business Office Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a business office assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Business office assistants keep offices running smoothly. The responsibilities of a business office assistant vary greatly, depending on the industry. However, cutting across various industries, business office assistants are responsible for handling clerical tasks in an office. They routinely manage filling systems, record information, maintain documents, handle incoming calls and other communications, update the office's paperwork, organize and manage common office areas, maintain supply inventory, and assist with client reception.

The standard level of education required to start working in this position is a high school diploma. However, an advanced position may require special training, such as an associate's degree in marketing, business, or accounting. The pay in this career field is fairly good. In exchange for their expertise, business office assistants earn an average annual salary of $60,759. The position needs individuals that possess the following skills: organizational skills, interpersonal skills, communication skills, customer service skills, and decision-making skills.

ScoreBusiness Office AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $31,747

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.07%

Asian 7.67%

Black or African American 10.37%

Hispanic or Latino 19.73%

Unknown 4.68%

White 56.49%

Gender

female 84.39%

male 15.61%

Age - 50

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 50

Stress level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.3

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a business office assistant

Explore business office assistant education requirements

Most common business office assistant degrees

Bachelor's

45.4 %

Associate

24.9 %

High School Diploma

15.2 %

Start to develop specific business office assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	22.48%
Customer Service	15.38%
Data Entry	7.79%
Payroll Processing	4.62%
Patient Appointments	4.38%

Complete relevant business office assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New business office assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a business office assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real business office assistant resumes.

Gain additional business office assistant certifications

Business office assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific business office assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for business office assistants include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research business office assistant duties and responsibilities

Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
Maintain relationships with both patients and family members by providing superior customer service as dictated by corporate policy.
Provide consistently positive customer service to ensure a positive experience for patients while maintaining the highest level of confidentiality.
Provide direct administration to all case management technicians and assist department manager and department director in leading outpatient rehabilitation departments.

Prepare your business office assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your business office assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a business office assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable business office assistant resume templates

Build a professional business office assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your business office assistant resume.