Job Description, Responsibilities and Salary of an Office Administrator

With an employment rate reported to raise no more than 2% by 2024, many people with the office administrator job description are expected to be replaced by technology. With the constant advancement of technology, many of the responsibilities of office administrators can be taken over by software. Some tasks, however, can only be performed by humans.

The office administrator job description usually comes with a prerequisite set of character traits and skills which any aspiring candidate should possess before even applying for the position. However, with the very low educational requirements and fairly decent salary, the occupation is often very coveted and frequently fought over.

Seeing as there are multiple types of office administrator, depending on each and every type of office, the office administrator job description can shift from one workplace to another. For example, going by industry, the medical office administrator job description will have some different requirement and responsibilities than the business office administration job description.

Office Administrator Job Description Overview

With a median salary estimated at $33,200 in May 2015, the office administrator job description varies significantly from position to position. Of course, while most of the same tasks pertaining to the office administration job description do stay the same, some tend to vary wildly.

However, the responsibilities don’t just shift from workplace to workplace. An experienced employee will always get more responsibilities ad tasks to complete than a newer one. For instance, the chief administrative officer job description will involve more duties than the administrative assistant job description, although the former could assign their least urgent and important tasks to the latter.

Overall, the office administrator is tasked with keeping the office running smoothly by fulfilling a series of duties without which the office would be in turmoil. It can be a very dissatisfying job, since many take the office’s state for granted, but it can also be highly satisfying for those who love being in control and making sure that everything is in order. So, what are an office administrator’s duties?

Office Administrator Responsibilities

Since there isn’t just one office administrator job description, it’s pretty difficult to approach the responsibilities of just one function. There are senior office administrators, doing the same thing as office administrators, only for the senior management. There are also different types of office administrators based on the type of office.

The higher office administrator job description and responsibilities are generally as follows:

• Helping the office staff keep clean and organized files and databases
• Preparing correspondence, presentations, reports, proposals, and memorandums
• Assigning different duties and jobs to the office staff and personnel
• Monitoring the operations going on in the office
• Scheduling meetings and appointments for upper level staff members and with executive functions
• Serving as the liaison and go-to person for any office conflicts and inquiries
• Managing the staff’s schedule
• Tracking the inventory of office supplies
• Making and approving all supply orders
• Assisting with the preparation of the department expenses and budgets
• Supervising all of the administrative personnel

Meanwhile, the office administrative assistant responsibilities and tasks are generally the following:

• Directing and answering phone calls
• Maintaining and saving lists of contacts
• Scheduling and organizing appointments and meetings
• Distributing and producing correspondence, including memos, faxes, forms, and letters
• Assisting with the preparation of periodically scheduled reports
• Developing and maintaining a number of filing systems
• Ordering most office supplies
• Booking and reserving travel arrangements
• Reconciling and submitting expense reports
• Offering visitors an amount of general support

Job Requirements of Office Administrator

Other than the educational and professional experience needed for the office administrator position, there is a number of personal qualities, skill sets, and abilities which one must possess in order to be considered for the position. The personal qualities and skill sets needed for the office administrator job description are as follows:

• Past proven work as office administrative or assistant
• Knowledge of various office management procedures and systems
• Exquisite time management skills
• Great multi-tasking skills
• The ability to prioritize work
• Great attention to details
• Advanced problem solving skills
• Native written and verbal communication skills
• Very strong planning skills
• Great organizational skills
• Great proficiency in Microsoft Office and other around-the-office software

Training and Qualification

The educational requirements are pretty lax when it comes to the office administrator job description. The average United States employer only asks for a high school diploma and some work experience from their potential future employees. Larger companies, on the other hand, will most likely request that their candidates come in with at least an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

Of course, certifications, qualifications, and degrees will always yield higher chances of getting the position. Those aspiring for the office manager job description, be it in a business, legal, non profit, or even church setting, can start a number of programs and courses.

Such courses can be found in industries such as customer service, accounting, law, business ethics and writing, communications, business practices, computer applications, and a wide array of other subjects related to office administration.

Anyone having a similar position, from the front office administrative manager job description to the administrative office specialist job description can profit from such courses. Plus, some offices do offer a measure of training on the job, particularly is regards to previous filing and note-taking systems.

Office Administrator Salary

The salary for an Office Administrator can vary widely based on factors such as location, education, and experience. According to salary.com reports the average salary for an Office Administrator in the United States is with the range typically falling between $40,981 to $51,753.

Work Experience of Office Administrator

As with most careers which involve many years spent in a single place, the office administrator position has far higher chances of being occupied by someone with experience. While some places of employment do hire employees without that much experience because of the skills demonstrated during interviews, experience is always a plus.

In most places, some experience as an office administrator or as an administrative assistant is required in order to get hired. However, somebody with the necessary skills that can properly present them during an interview could be hired over someone with experience that isn’t that good at his or her job.

Career of Office Administrator

As for the career prospects which come with the office administrator job description and salary, they aren’t as positive as they once were. The job outlook is fairly negative, with the employment rates for the position only growing 2% until 2024. This is primarily owed to two factors – the constant advancement of technology and the security of most positions.

Usually, while an office administrator position is locked down, it remains locked down for years to come. Few actually consider switching jobs, since the workload only gets easier with time spent in the same workplace. This makes for a very limited job market.

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Conclusion

Anyone interested can find an office administrator job description sample or template by following this link. The position is one of the most coveted in administration, as it comes with a decent pay and with great job security. Plus, the low requirements and possibly high job satisfaction make the position one of great interest to a large number of people.

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