Annual Average Salary Information
Annual Average Salary: $47,940
What does an Administration earn?
On average, Administrators earn around $47,940 per year in the U.S.. Administrators perform a variety of tasks to support an organisation and its staff, such as managing files, scheduling appointments, and answering phone calls. An Administrator can choose to specialise in a particular area such as office management, data entry or customer service.
How to earn more as an Administration
To become an administrator, you will need relevant qualifications in business, management, or information technology. Alternatively, you can go through an apprenticeship or further vocational qualifications. To gain additional skills to increase your earning potential, you can focus on specific areas of administration, such as database management or office management. You could also look into becoming a self-employed freelancer or setting up your own business offering admin services.
Administration responsibilities
The average Office Administrator salary greatly depends on the responsibilities of the job title. The job title could be for an entry-level position, such as Administrative Assistant, a mid-level position, such as Executive Secretary, or a management position, such as Office Manager or Admin Manager.
Most careers working as an Administrative Assistant or System Administrator will see you responsible for duties where you may enter data into spreadsheets or bespoke company software, file paperwork, answer telephones, provide support to Human Resources, calculate profit, and produce cost reports. You may direct visitors, complete word processing, order office supplies and stationery, and open and send correspondence, including print mail, emails, and online chat.
Administrative leaders earn higher salaries focusing on delegating tasks, measuring employee performance, and ensuring legal and regulatory compliance.
Skills and education level
Your education level will also affect your pay. Most companies will expect you to have a high school diploma for entry-level jobs. You should be paid higher salaries and compensation if you work for employers requesting a high school degree, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or master’s.
If you do not have a U.S. high school diploma, you can take the General Education Development Test (GED) to show you have the same level of knowledge and education as a high school graduate. You can take the GED test within America or from 90 countries around the world.
The top skills for administrative professionals include attention to detail, organization skills, administrative software proficiency, and word processing skills. The majority of employers will also be seeking a candidate who can communicate and work with people at all levels, from coworkers to company executives.
What to expect from Administration careers
You can start your career as a trainee or junior Administrative Assistant. Graduate-level jobs are also available, with the average salary reflecting the education attained. You will most likely be expected to work in an office environment, and your workload and variety of tasks may be dictated by the company size. Smaller companies often prefer professionals who have broader knowledge and are able to complete a wide variety of tasks. Larger companies and offices may see you specialize in one or two core tasks, responsibilities, or duties.
While hours may vary across industries, a System Administrator, Administrative Assistant, or Secretary would expect to work set hours. However, a remote, work-from-home, or hybrid position might offer greater freedom and flexibility.
You will be expected to be adaptable and efficient, handle confidential data, and follow company policies, guidelines, and state or U.S. regulations. The working day often follows a similar routine but you will need to leverage your expertise and initiative to handle external factors, such as busy periods or ad hoc projects and tasks.
Administration job title
There are numerous job titles within the administration industry. Examples of admin-related job titles include Office Administrator, System Administrator, Systems Administrator, Administrative Assistant, Data Entry Keyer, Mail Clerk, Office Clerk, Telephone Operator, Receptionist, or Word Processor. Specialized roles requiring industry knowledge and a more significant experience level command higher salaries and pay.
You can search for administration vacancies and salaries on Checkasalary.com for positions including Administrative Assistant, Systems Administrator, System Administrator, and Office Administrator.
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Highest-paying locations for Administration jobs
The location of your job in America and the United States can significantly affect your pay and compensation. You can use our Salary Calculator to check the annual salary and hourly average salary for jobs in any location in America. We have salary and pay data for locations such as California, Colorado, Virginia, and more.
You could consider relocating to improve your compensation. However, if you do not wish to relocate, this does not mean you cannot improve your pay. A short commute and working for a business in an inner city location will often mean access to better salaries. If you are interested in a job in a rural location or city, you can use our annual salary data to check if employers are offering a below, above or average salary.
Administration professional development
The salary for working professionals varies depending on the individual’s career level and experience in the field. Entry-level positions have the lowest pay, while fully qualified workers, senior staff, and management earn more. Graduates with relevant qualifications may command a higher starting salary. To increase your earning potential, consider taking training opportunities such as workshops or online courses. Our per-hour and annual salary data provide guidance on the wage range and earnings for junior, intermediate, and senior industry roles.
Administration work experience
Obtaining prior work experience in your chosen career path can significantly enhance your chances of getting hired and earning a competitive salary. Practical experiences such as internships, apprenticeships, shadowing, and vacation work can provide valuable skills and knowledge in the field. If it is not possible to find work experience directly for your prospective job, showcasing transferable skills gained from other experiences can also be beneficial to potential employers and demonstrate your experience level.
Administration working hours
Working hours for your job and career can have an impact on monthly pay and salaries. Companies of different sizes may offer higher overtime pay or additional compensation for working non-traditional hours, such as evenings, weekends, or holidays. The type of employment, such as part-time, full-time, permanent, temporary, or contract, can also affect the salary received and should be considered when evaluating compensation fairness.
Administration salary negotiations
To be well-prepared for salary negotiations with employers, it’s crucial to research and understand the typical salaries and other compensation factors, such as average bonus, for prospective positions. Use our salary comparison tool and perform searches for different job titles and locations to determine your worth.
Keep in mind that compensation is not only limited to financial benefits and performance-related commission, and consider other benefits such as the ability to work from home, additional paid vacation, gym membership, or private healthcare.
Annual salary, median salary, and taxes
When you review the median salary or annual salary for a role, it is vital to remember that you will pay taxes on salaries paid. When you receive your pay, you may be liable for various employment taxes, either deducted by your employer or required by self-payment. U.S. government taxes can include Federal Income Tax, Federal and State Unemployment Tax, Social Security and Medicare Tax, and Additional Medicare Taxes.
Administration Job search
If you are seeking a better salary, start your job search today. You can search for jobs by job title and set up job alerts to get notified as soon as an employer posts their vacancy.