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How to hire a senior office assistant

Senior office assistant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring senior office assistants in the United States:

  • There are a total of 55,622 senior office assistants in the US, and there are currently 77,390 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a senior office assistant is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per senior office assistant on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • New York, NY, has the highest demand for senior office assistants, with 5 job openings.

How to hire a senior office assistant, step by step

To hire a senior office assistant, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a senior office assistant:

Here's a step-by-step senior office assistant hiring guide:

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

What does a senior office assistant do?

A senior office assistant performs clerical support tasks to maintain the smooth flow of operations in an office. Their responsibilities typically include supervising junior assistants, conducting research and analysis, preparing and processing documents, answering calls and correspondence, arranging schedules and events, confirming appointments, and helping staff as needed. They must also maintain an active communication line with different departments and participate in various projects. Moreover, as a senior office assistant, they must lead and serve as a role model to junior office assistants, all while implementing and promoting the company's policies and regulations.

Learn more about the specifics of what a senior office assistant does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the senior office assistant you need to hire. Certain senior office assistant roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A senior office assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior office assistants 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 senior office assistants and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Senior Office AssistantDescriptionHourly rate
    Senior Office AssistantSecretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.$12-21
    Office LeadAn office lead is responsible for performing complex administrative tasks, especially in front office operations, managing staff performance, and providing high-quality customer service by responding to visitors' inquiries and concerns and directing them to the appropriate department. These leads monitor daily business transactions, write business reports, and manage the information in the system database... Show more$24-61
    Office AdministratorOffice administrators are employees who ensure that the office is running in tip-top shape. They manage the administrative needs of the office... Show more$13-23
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Data Entry
    • Patients
    • Office Procedures
    • Customer Service
    • Word Processing
    • Telephone Calls
    • Office Equipment
    • Payroll
    • Office Assistants
    • Financial Reports
    • Clerical Support
    • Front Desk
    • Purchase Orders
    • Meeting Minutes
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
    • Help implement EMR and eScript.
    • Design photo display boards, CD covers and PowerPoint presentations for educational purposes.
    • Obtain insurance/payment information from patients.
    • Communicate effectively pertinent information to Medical/Office staff and patients.
    • Create and maintain time cards for several individuals and submit payroll requisitions.
    More senior office assistant duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your senior office assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A senior office assistant can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, senior office assistants' average salary in louisiana is 49% less than in hawaii.
    • Seniority. Entry-level senior office assistants 43% less than senior-level senior office assistants.
    • Certifications. A senior office assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a senior office assistant's salary.

    Average senior office assistant salary

    $16.39hourly

    $34,082 yearly

    Entry-level senior office assistant salary
    $25,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 18, 2025

    Average senior office assistant salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New York$39,748$19
    2District of Columbia$39,697$19
    3California$39,041$19
    4Oregon$36,036$17
    5Washington$34,663$17
    6Colorado$34,427$17
    7Nevada$33,877$16
    8Massachusetts$33,402$16
    9Delaware$33,202$16
    10Illinois$32,791$16
    11Pennsylvania$31,304$15
    12Maryland$31,235$15
    13Arizona$30,593$15
    14Michigan$30,181$15
    15Wisconsin$29,995$14
    16Texas$28,940$14
    17Ohio$28,786$14
    18Missouri$28,778$14
    19New Mexico$28,279$14
    20North Dakota$27,755$13

    Average senior office assistant salary by company

  4. Writing a senior office assistant job description

    A senior office assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a senior office assistant job description:

    Senior office assistant job description example

    • Answer telephones and direct the caller to the appropriate staff member of the Graduate School.
    • Greet and direct visitors to the Graduate School.
    • Take and retrieve messages for various personnel.
    • Provide callers with basic information such as the department address, directions to the Graduate School location, the website, and other related information.
    • Receive, open, sort, and forward incoming mail. Date-stamp incoming mail for Graduate Admissions, look up application-related and/or student information in various student databases to include on the documents received by mail. Assist with other related clerical duties such as photocopying, faxing, filing, cutting, labeling, and collating.
    • Process student applications for travel funding.
    • Monitor the email account pertaining to graduate student travel.
    • Assist students and departments via email, phone, and in-person, with inquiries pertaining to the travel funding program.


    Major/Essential Functions

    Performs clerical duties of a specialized or technical nature, which may be performed in a variety of settings. Responsibilities may include basic bookkeeping, typing, word processing, filing, sorting, posting, verifying, recording, and data coding and processing of moderate complexity. A general understanding of organizational policies and procedures and some expertise in the area of assigned work is required. Duties are performed under direction within established policies and procedures with job performance based upon completion of assigned tasks.

    Required Qualifications

    Proficiency in written and mathematical processes as may be reflected by the completion of high school or the equivalent. One year clerical experience. Additional education and/or related experience to equal one year may substitute on a year for year basis.

    Preferred Qualifications

    • Prior experience as a receptionist or other related field.
    • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
    • Basic competency in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
    • Strong organizational and multi-tasking skills.
    • Experience with administrative and clerical procedures, as well as using standard office equipment (copier, fax machine, etc.).
    • Ability to contribute positively as part of a team, be flexible and willing to help in different areas of the Graduate School as needed.


    Occasional Duties

    Assist the Enrollment Services staff during the Commencement ceremonies and other Graduate School events (e.g. the annual Fellowship Reception and New Graduate Student Orientation) as needed.
  5. Post your job

    To find the right senior office assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with senior office assistants they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit senior office assistants who meet your education requirements.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your senior office assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit senior office assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting senior office assistants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 senior office assistant

    Once you've decided on a perfect senior office assistant candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

    To prepare for the new senior office assistant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  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.)
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How much does it cost to hire a senior office assistant?

Recruiting senior office assistants involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $34,082 per year for a senior office assistant, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for senior office assistants in the US typically range between $12 and $21 an hour.

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