Administrative Assistant job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$47,540

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive (O*NET-SOC 43-6014.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or transfer calls to appropriate individuals. importance 4.3 of 5
2. Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs. importance 4.3 of 5
3. Create, maintain, and enter information into databases. importance 4.2 of 5
4. Use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing. importance 4.2 of 5
5. Operate office equipment, such as fax machines, copiers, or phone systems and arrange for repairs when equipment malfunctions. importance 4.1 of 5
6. Set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, recording information, updating paperwork, or maintaining documents, such as attendance records, correspondence, or other material. importance 4.0 of 5
7. Operate electronic mail systems and coordinate the flow of information, internally or with other organizations. importance 4.0 of 5
8. Schedule and confirm appointments for clients, customers, or supervisors. importance 3.9 of 5
9. Maintain scheduling and event calendars. importance 3.8 of 5
10. Compose, type, and distribute meeting notes, routine correspondence, or reports, such as presentations or expense, statistical, or monthly reports. importance 3.8 of 5
11. Complete forms in accordance with company procedures. importance 3.8 of 5
12. Locate and attach appropriate files to incoming correspondence requiring replies. importance 3.7 of 5
13. Conduct searches to find needed information, using such sources as the Internet. importance 3.7 of 5
14. Open, read, route, and distribute incoming mail or other materials and answer routine letters. importance 3.7 of 5
15. Review work done by others to check for correct spelling and grammar, ensure that company format policies are followed, and recommend revisions. importance 3.7 of 5
16. Make copies of correspondence or other printed material. importance 3.7 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Working with Computers, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information, Performing Administrative Activities and Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Perform payroll functions, such as maintaining timekeeping information and processing and submitting payroll.
• Collect and deposit money into accounts, disburse funds from cash accounts to pay bills or invoices, keep records of collections and disbursements, and ensure accounts are balanced.
• Establish work procedures or schedules and keep track of the daily work of clerical staff.
• Provide services to customers, such as order placement or account information.
• Arrange conference, meeting, or travel reservations for office personnel.
• Supervise other clerical staff and provide training and orientation to new staff.

Knowledge areas: Administrative, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Customer and Personal Service and Administration and Management.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Adobe Creative Cloud software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become an administrative assistant.

The most common answer among administrative assistants surveyed by O*NET is a high school diploma or equivalent (50%).

Job title: Administrative Assistant
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring an Administrative Assistant to perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or transfer calls to appropriate individuals.
- Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
- Create, maintain, and enter information into databases.
- Use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing.
- Operate office equipment, such as fax machines, copiers, or phone systems and arrange for repairs when equipment malfunctions.
- Set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, recording information, updating paperwork, or maintaining documents, such as attendance records, correspondence, or other material.
- Operate electronic mail systems and coordinate the flow of information, internally or with other organizations.
- Schedule and confirm appointments for clients, customers, or supervisors.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, speaking and reading comprehension
- Working knowledge of Administrative and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $47,540 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $22.86. BLS estimates about 1,706,790 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive to decline 6.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 163,900 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full administrative assistant salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real administrative assistant posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only administrative assistant work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and speaking); administrative assistant interview questions turns them into practice questions.