How to hire an office associate

How to hire an office associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step office associate hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an office associate job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new office associate
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an office associate do?

Post an office associate job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your office associate job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an office associate for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An office associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, office associates 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of office associates and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Office Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Office Associate	General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.	$11-18
   Support Clerk	A support clerk is primarily in charge of performing administrative support tasks in an office, making the daily workflow easier. Their responsibilities typically include preparing and processing documentation, answering and forwarding calls, handling correspondence, disseminating and organizing files, and running errands as needed... Show more	$10-25
   Clerk	Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies... Show more	$11-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Patients
   • Data Entry
   • Office Equipment
   • Patient Appointments
   • Telephone Calls
   • Patient Charts
   • Strong Customer Service
   • Phone Calls
   • Transcription
   • Cash Handling
   • EMR
   • Schedule Appointments
   • Payroll

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
   • Prepare complex PowerPoint presentations using sound and automate graphics.
   • Utilize PowerPoint and other graphics programs to develop supporting materials for presentations.
   • Arrange confidential documentation for patients and providers and correspond with providers regarding the status of their account.
   • Review payroll time sheets for accuracy and completeness and research discrepancies, enter data into computer system.
   • Design and implement a DoD program to improve transparency and accountability of combat equipment and procurement funding.

   More office associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your office associate job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An office associate salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, office associates' average salary in new mexico is 62% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level office associates earn 38% less than senior-level office associates.
   • Certifications. An office associate with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an office associate's salary.

   Average office associate salary

   $15.04hourly

   $31,276 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level office associate salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average office associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Alaska	$52,289	$25
   2	California	$39,192	$19
   3	Oregon	$35,189	$17
   4	New York	$35,144	$17
   5	New Jersey	$33,828	$16
   6	Illinois	$33,067	$16
   7	Wisconsin	$32,256	$16
   8	Pennsylvania	$31,374	$15
   9	North Dakota	$30,829	$15
   10	Ohio	$30,787	$15
   11	Maine	$30,534	$15
   12	Nebraska	$30,492	$15
   13	Minnesota	$30,074	$14
   14	Delaware	$28,864	$14
   15	Iowa	$28,240	$14
   16	Arizona	$27,947	$13
   17	North Carolina	$26,477	$13
   18	Georgia	$26,298	$13
   19	Mississippi	$25,538	$12
   20	Florida	$25,226	$12

   Average office associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Persistent Systems	$49,645	$23.87
   2	Goldman Sachs	$47,235	$22.71	5
   3	State Street	$46,914	$22.55	2
   4	Accenture	$46,396	$22.31	5
   5	Northern Trust	$45,471	$21.86
   6	Standard Chartered	$45,013	$21.64
   7	BlackRock	$44,568	$21.43
   8	Deutsche Bank	$43,210	$20.77
   9	Merkle	$41,987	$20.19
   10	Beacon Hill Staffing Group	$41,887	$20.14
   11	SF-Marin Food Bank	$40,938	$19.68
   12	MUFG EMEA	$40,398	$19.42
   13	The Brooklyn Hospital Center	$40,315	$19.38
   14	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$39,765	$19.12	47
   15	Stride	$39,741	$19.11
   16	Exelon	$39,721	$19.10
   17	Royal Bank of Canada	$39,618	$19.05	3
   18	McDermott Will & Emery	$39,607	$19.04	1
   19	Bob's Discount Furniture	$39,082	$18.79	1
   20	Iowa Valley Community College District	$38,994	$18.75	10

4. Writing an office associate job description

   A job description for an office associate role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an office associate job description:

   Office associate job description example

   Maintain records from 1915 to present and process transcript requests.

   Type, distribute and maintain files for work permits.

   Maintain GED requests and files.

   Provides backup support to enroll (register) students in Student Information System, to provide Social Security with requested paper work, and to Data Processing Secretary.

   SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

   None.

   QUALIFICATIONS

   To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

   EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

   High School diploma or general education degree (GED) and two to three years related experience and/or training. Proficiency with Microsoft Windows programs necessary.

   LANGUAGE SKILLS

   Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one situations to students, parents and other employees of IPS.

   MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

   Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

   REASONING ABILITY

   Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

   CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

   None.

   PHYSICAL DEMANDS

   The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

   While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move more than 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus.

   WORK ENVIRONMENT

   The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

   The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find office associates 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 office associates they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level office associates 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 office associate job on Zippia to find and recruit office associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit office associates, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 office associate

   Once you've found the office associate candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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 employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire an office associate?