How To Become An Office Manager/Administrative Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is an office manager/administrative assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

An office manager, also referred to as an administrative assistant, is obligated to supervise the workflow in an office or sector. Most of your responsibilities revolves around executing crucial jobs, like arranging and maintaining precise agendas and documentation and acquiring office necessities and equipment.

Furthermore, you are expected to set up a meeting session and appointments, assemble articles and analyses, and manage calls and other aspects of correspondence. In addition, as an office manager, you will act as the point of contact for various departments, making it important to sustain a functioning line of interaction and cooperation every time. You are also expected to take care of every insurance review and collaborate with the CPA for tax filing.

As an office manager/ administrative assistant, you need to display good writing, organization, and interpersonal skills. You also need to hold a bachelor's degree at most or an associate degree in business or accounting. In the United States, an office manager earns an average annual salary of $39,574 or $19.03 per hour.

ScoreOffice Manager/Administrative AssistantUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,071

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 3.80%

Black or African American 9.12%

Hispanic or Latino 15.97%

Unknown 3.87%

White 66.51%

Gender

female 91.42%

male 8.58%

Age - 52

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 - 52

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.4

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an office manager/administrative assistant

Explore office manager/administrative assistant education requirements

Most common office manager/administrative assistant degrees

Bachelor's

40.4 %

Associate

28.4 %

High School Diploma

17.1 %

Start to develop specific office manager/administrative assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	15.88%
Data Entry	9.55%
Financial Statements	5.45%
Travel Arrangements	5.08%
Purchase Orders	5.03%

Complete relevant office manager/administrative assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New office managers/administrative assistant 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 an office manager/administrative assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real office manager/administrative assistant resumes.

Gain additional office manager/administrative assistant certifications

Office manager/administrative 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 office manager/administrative assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for office managers/administrative assistant include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research office manager/administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Manage detailed administrative records using POS retail software.
Scan and file all documents into EMR and paper chart.
Coordinate yearly CPR training with local fire department for post office employees.
Scan all labs retrieve from various insurance portals, and medical records into the EMR.

Prepare your office manager/administrative assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your office manager/administrative 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 an office manager/administrative 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 office manager/administrative assistant resume templates

Build a professional office manager/administrative 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 office manager/administrative assistant resume.

Apply for office manager/administrative assistant jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an office manager/administrative assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average office manager/administrative assistant salary

The average office manager/administrative assistant salary in the United States is $39,071 per year or $19 per hour. Office manager/administrative assistant salaries range between $27,000 and $55,000 per year.

Average office manager/administrative assistant salary

$39,071 Yearly

$18.78 hourly

How do office managers/administrative assistant rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Office manager/administrative assistant reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

Being able to motivate administrative personnel to do their jobs well and meet deadlines.

Cons

Having to reprimand personnel when duties are neglected.

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019

Pros

diverse responsibilities, interfacing with all levels of professionals

Cons

nothing comes to mind

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019

Pros

It's not stop.

Cons

People calling in. Firing people taking people to the doctors where there's a lot of sick people.

What is an office manager/administrative assistant and how to become one

Office manager/administrative assistant career paths

Key steps to become an office manager/administrative assistant

Explore office manager/administrative assistant education requirements

Most common office manager/administrative assistant degrees

Start to develop specific office manager/administrative assistant skills

Complete relevant office manager/administrative assistant training and internships

Gain additional office manager/administrative assistant certifications

Research office manager/administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Prepare your office manager/administrative assistant resume

Choose from 10+ customizable office manager/administrative assistant resume templates

Apply for office manager/administrative assistant jobs

How did you land your first office manager/administrative assistant job

Average office manager/administrative assistant salary

How do office managers/administrative assistant rate their job?

Office manager/administrative assistant reviews

Office manager/administrative assistant jobs by state