How To Become An Office Services Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is an office services assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

Office assistants handle organizational and clerical support tasks. This may include organizing files, scheduling appointments, writing copy, proofreading, receiving guests, and more, depending on the company and its needs.

The responsibilities that they fulfill in this capacity include handling incoming calls and other communications; greeting clients and visitors as needed; updating paperwork; maintaining documents and word processing; performing general office clerk duties and errands; coordinating events as necessary; maintaining office equipment; and creating, maintaining, and entering information into databases. To qualify for the position, applicants will need a high school diploma; although, an associate's degree is preferable. Moreover, a warm personality, good communication, and ability to work under limited supervision are some of the traits that employers look for.

The average hourly pay for this position is $13.97, which amounts to $29,056 annually. The job comes with responsibilities and generous rewards attached alongside it.

What general advice would you give to an office services assistant?

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

Professor, West Virginia State University

I would say it's important to be very attentive to the way you communicate with your employers, managers, and co-workers. Even sending an e-mail can be an opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism and communication skills. Some people think that no one knows how to write anymore, or how to communicate in a professional way. I don't think that's true. But we don't always think about how our writing can be a tool to communicate our competence and seriousness. If you know how to write and communicate professionally-which college grads do-then make sure to demonstrate that in the workplace.

ScoreOffice Services AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $31,577

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.04%

Asian 7.41%

Black or African American 10.82%

Hispanic or Latino 21.10%

Unknown 4.60%

White 55.03%

Gender

female 71.75%

male 28.25%

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 an office services assistant

Explore office services assistant education requirements

Most common office services assistant degrees

Bachelor's

50.0 %

Associate

24.2 %

High School Diploma

14.5 %

Start to develop specific office services assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	18.81%
Data Entry	10.93%
Office Services	9.74%
Office Equipment	8.12%
Office Procedures	5.29%

Complete relevant office services assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New office services 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 an office services assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real office services assistant resumes.

Gain additional office services assistant certifications

Office services 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 services assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

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

More About Certifications

Research office services assistant duties and responsibilities

Manage CI s SharePoint pages and serve as CI s subject matter expert on SharePoint working groups.
Log postage, FedEx & DHL disbursements into CMS for billing.
Coordinate hotel executives & VIP/Celebrity guests regarding plans, meetings, & reservations.
Mail - picking up, sorting, distributing and processing (USPS and interoffice).

Prepare your office services assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your office services 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 services 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 services assistant resume templates

Build a professional office services 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 services assistant resume.