How to hire a student office assistant

How to hire a student office assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step student 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 student office assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new student office assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a student office assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the student office assistant you need to hire. Certain student 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?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a student office assistant to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a student office assistant that fits the bill.

   This list presents student office assistant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Student Office Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Student Office Assistant	General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.	$7-17
   Office Worker	An office worker is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the daily operations of the business. Office workers assist in receiving calls to respond to the clients' inquiries and concerns, as well as welcoming visitors, verifying their appointments, and leading them to the appropriate personnel and department for their business needs... Show more	$11-34
   Office Clerk	Office clerks are administrative employees who handle clerical activities for the organization. They are in charge of managing company records, organizing and storing documents, filing and sorting hard copies of documents, and liaising with other departments or external partners... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Entry
   • Phone Calls
   • Customer Service
   • Front Desk
   • Financial Aid
   • PowerPoint
   • Database Systems
   • Office Equipment
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Alumni
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Student Body
   • Word Processing
   • Event Planning

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
   • Perform various office tasks as needed: copying, collating, filing, filling briefing bags.
   • Develop relationships with prospective students, parents and donors; engage alumni, and aid office operations
   • Welcome combat veterans with minor to severe mental health issues.
   • Create PowerPoint presentations and present to undergraduate business classes.
   • Ensure sensitive information pertaining to veterans are kept secure.

   More student office assistant duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, student office assistants' average salary in alabama is 46% less than in colorado.
   • Seniority. Entry-level student office assistants 56% less than senior-level student office assistants.
   • Certifications. A student 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 student office assistant's salary.

   Average student office assistant salary

   $11.86hourly

   $24,666 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level student office assistant salary

   $16,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average student office assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Colorado	$31,273	$15
   2	California	$29,884	$14
   3	Washington	$26,943	$13
   4	New York	$26,811	$13
   5	Michigan	$26,483	$13
   6	Maryland	$26,406	$13
   7	New Jersey	$26,178	$13
   8	Arizona	$25,838	$12
   9	Minnesota	$25,583	$12
   10	Virginia	$25,395	$12
   11	Alaska	$25,272	$12
   12	Nevada	$25,147	$12
   13	Illinois	$24,372	$12
   14	Oregon	$23,592	$11
   15	Wyoming	$23,485	$11
   16	Utah	$23,068	$11
   17	Ohio	$22,719	$11
   18	Texas	$22,113	$11
   19	Florida	$21,888	$11
   20	Kentucky	$21,293	$10

   Average student office assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Minneapolis Community and Technical College	$36,731	$17.66
   2	San Francisco University High School	$35,539	$17.09	2
   3	Binghamton University	$34,650	$16.66
   4	Gardner Denver	$31,974	$15.37
   5	Monroe Community College	$31,497	$15.14	11
   6	State Bar of Michigan	$31,497	$15.14	19
   7	Ohlone College	$31,224	$15.01
   8	Archdiocese of Philadelphia	$30,052	$14.45	11
   9	New York State Restaurant Association	$29,919	$14.38
   10	UnitedHealth Group	$29,267	$14.07	34
   11	Salem State University	$28,066	$13.49
   12	Genesee Community College	$26,842	$12.90
   13	University of Maryland Faculty Physicians Incorporated	$26,656	$12.82	20
   14	Metropolitan State University of Denver	$26,539	$12.76	7
   15	Chicago Public Schools	$26,403	$12.69	9
   16	University of Nevada, Reno	$26,398	$12.69	45
   17	Fairmont State University	$26,091	$12.54	2
   18	Chapman University	$25,791	$12.40	50
   19	SUNY Delhi	$25,542	$12.28
   20	U.s.government	$25,522	$12.27	5

4. Writing a student office assistant job description

   A student 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a student office assistant job description:

   Student office assistant job description example

   Primary Responsibilities:
   Assist in collection, processing, and distribution of all residence hall keys Auditing RCR binders, key cards, & housing agreements Assisting in the collection/upkeep of all Residence Life related documents Assisting students with putting in facility work orders Dealing with lockouts for students during normal business hours Creation/update of departmental bulletin boards Upkeep and general maintenance (fuel, cleaning, & reporting any issues) of the Residence Life golf carts Assisting Professional Staff with on-going projects Upkeep of all announcements/flyers around campus related to Residence LifeChecking and distributing of departmental mail for Residence Life on daily basis Ensuring on daily basis that copier has paper and replenishing if necessary Assisting Senior Coordinator with filing and upkeep of all student files Preform daily office tasks such as answering phones, handling walk-ins and greeting customers Other duties as assigned
   
   Basic Function:
   Provide support to the Office of Residence Life by assisting with the day to day tasks that need to be accomplished in order to keep the Office of Residence Life and the University functioning as effectively and efficiently as possible.
   
   Required Education/Experience/Skills:
   Must be ethical person with strong values of integrity Excellent customer service and communication skills Strong work ethic Clean driving record and capable of driving University Vans
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   Previous experience in Residence Life or office setting preferred
   
   Minimum Qualifications:
   Enrolled Full-time in Saint Leo University's Undergraduate ProgramEligible for Federal Work Study
   
   Physical Demands:
   Ability to Lift/move furniture weighing over 50lbs with hand-truck
   
   Why Work at Saint Leo?
   
   What it's Like to Work Here: Ask our employees and the one word they'd use to describe working at Saint Leo University is “Community.” Our team members all share the Saint Leo core values, positive attitudes, and problem-solving abilities, enabling them to provide excellent student centered service. Our mission is educating and preparing students for life and leadership in a challenging world. Thank you for your interest in joining the Saint Leo PRIDE!
   
   We are committed to providing our employees with the support they need. At Saint Leo, we offer an array of medical, dental, and vision packages as well as several add-on perks to make your benefits package truly customizable to you and your family needs. Available benefits based on employment status (Full Time vs Part Time).
   Inclusive Group Health Plan (Medical, Dental, Vision) Group Health Plan features include Teledoc, Surgery Plus!, Wellness Incentive Program, Nationwide Pet Insurance, just to name a few!Health Reimbursement Account (University Paid!) and Flexible Spending Accounts (healthcare and dependent options) Tuition Remission (Employee, Spouse, and Dependents)*Tuition Exchange opportunity for dependent of employees*Paid Personal Leave (Sick, Vacation, Holidays)403b - Annual match 3%-9% of pay based on employee's contribution. University match and fully vested within one month of hire date.Basic Life and AD&D Insurance valued at 30k (University Paid!) Income Protection Benefits after one year Additional options for supplemental insurance
   
   *Eligibility based on meeting required service period

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right student office assistant for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your student office assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit student office assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit student office assistants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 student office assistant

   Once you've selected the best student office assistant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new student 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 student office assistant?