What does an Office Administrator do?
Office administrators are employees who ensure that the office is running in tip-top shape. They manage the administrative needs of the office. They answer calls directed to the official company phone, manage the inventory of supplies, take charge or purchase requisitions for needed supplies, and ensure the office equipment and fixtures are taken care of. Office administrators also manage correspondences, official memoranda, and other official company documents. They also keep track of files and records to ensure that these are properly organized. At times, office administrators also take charge of welcoming guests and accompanying them to their respective meetings.
Office administrator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real office administrator resumes:
- Monitor calls, manage calendars, travel, meeting arrangements, video conference and teleconferencing.
- Formulate various procedures to assure efficient operation of the SharePoint system is managed properly for CFWB and BOS.
- Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
- Pull patients charts for doctors using EMR system as well as pulled chart from medical records room.
- Create and update all departmental ISO documents.
- Collect all outgoing FedEx overnight packages and ship with accurate tracking and conformation information.
- Compile receipts and statements to process expense reports for the Sr. Director and self.
- Educate and assist associates as needed with the operation of KRONOS time management system.
- Check offices in assign area for security and check doors, windows, lights, and equipment.
- Mentore junior team members to administer company SharePoint and other tools to successfully carry out their recruitment efforts.
- Monitor employee's daily punches and input weekly schedules into KRONOS database, assist with the processing of LOA's.
- Prepare payroll for building superintendents.
- Maintain employee confidence and protects payroll operations by keeping information confidential.
- Prepare billing proposals and organize paper invoice and integrate them into QuickBooks.
- Assist with physician recruitment by coordinating schedules and logistics for all visiting physicians.
Office administrator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 18% of Office Administrators are proficient in Customer Service, Patients, and Data Entry. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Office Administrators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 18%
Utilize customer service skills to communicate effectively with patients and insurance companies concerning questions regarding their accounts and correspondence.
- Patients, 11%
Routed patients to appropriate providers upon check in, updated patient information and provided patients with lab preparation materials/instructions as needed.
- Data Entry, 8%
Provided administrative support for the Director of Pharmacy, including performed diversified secretarial, clerical and data entry functions.
- Office Equipment, 5%
Organized meetings and catering, coordinated facility and office equipment servicing and maintained office supplies.
- Front Desk, 4%
Manage front desk for evening receptions for high level personnel including military officers and politicians, and executive level officers.
- PowerPoint, 3%
Prepared several sophisticated PowerPoint presentations on leading-edge operational improvements.
"customer service," "patients," and "data entry" are among the most common skills that office administrators use at work. You can find even more office administrator responsibilities below, including:
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an office administrator to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "general office clerks often provide general information to company staff, customers, or the public." Office administrators often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "processed all customer maintenance contract set ups and changes in oracle database in support of branch management and sales department. "
Detail oriented. Another essential skill to perform office administrator duties is detail oriented. Office administrators responsibilities require that "general office clerks perform many clerical tasks that require attention to detail, such as preparing bills." Office administrators also use detail oriented in their role according to a real resume snippet: "maintained and updated patient records-documented patient's details while scheduling appointments including the treatments and personal details. "
Organizational skills. This is an important skill for office administrators to perform their duties. For an example of how office administrator responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "general office clerks file and retrieve records." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an office administrator: "provided daily data entry, filing, and utilized stellar organizational skills".
The three companies that hire the most office administrators are:
- Builders FirstSource69 office administrators jobs
- Caliber Collision61 office administrators jobs
- Athletico45 office administrators jobs
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Compare different office administrators
Office administrator vs. Administrative office specialist
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.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, office administrator responsibilities require skills like "patients," "scheduling appointments," "human resources," and "patient care." Meanwhile a typical administrative office specialist has skills in areas such as "payroll," "phone calls," "hr," and "database management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Administrative office specialists earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $36,820. On the other hand, office administrators are paid more in the government industry with an average salary of $39,681.The education levels that administrative office specialists earn slightly differ from office administrators. In particular, administrative office specialists are 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an office administrator. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Office administrator vs. Office secretary
An office secretary is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to ensure the smooth flow of operations and prevent delays with project deliverables. Office secretaries also welcome guests, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and direct them to the appropriate department or personnel for their appointments. They schedule meetings, sort documents, handle incoming and outgoing mail, as well as manage inventories for the adequacy of office supplies. An office secretary must have excellent time-management and multitasking skills to conduct tasks within a strict deadline and minimal supervision.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that office administrator responsibilities requires skills like "customer service," "patients," "human resources," and "administrative tasks." But an office secretary might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "phone calls," "payroll," "database management," and "hr."
Office secretaries earn a lower average salary than office administrators. But office secretaries earn the highest pay in the telecommunication industry, with an average salary of $39,786. Additionally, office administrators earn the highest salaries in the government with average pay of $39,681 annually.office secretaries earn similar levels of education than office administrators in general. They're 1.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Office Administrators in the next 3-5 years?
David Groshoff
Office administrator vs. Administrative professional
An administrative professional specializes in performing administrative support and clerical tasks in a company or office, ensuring accuracy and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities typically revolve around managing schedules, arranging appointments and meetings, producing progress reports and presentations, delegating tasks, and attending meetings on behalf of executives or staff. There are also instances when an administrative assistant must answer calls and correspondence, respond to inquiries and concerns, welcome guests, relay messages, and provide staff with any support tasks or documents.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from office administrator resumes include skills like "patients," "purchase orders," "patient care," and "office administration," whereas an administrative professional is more likely to list skills in "sharepoint," "phone calls," "payroll," and "reservations. "
Most administrative professionals achieve a similar degree level compared to office administrators. For example, they're 4.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Office administrator vs. Administrative associate
An administrative associate is responsible for performing various tasks such as handling and processing paperwork, attending meetings and preparing minutes, responding to inquiries and other forms of correspondence, keeping accurate records, updating databases, and monitoring the company's financial activities. They also communicate with various department personnel, ensuring coordination should any important matter would arise. Furthermore, as an administrative associate, they are in charge of procuring supplies, implementing company policies, and supporting any staff members if needed.
Types of office administrator
Updated January 8, 2025
