What Do Administrative Directors Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for administrative directors?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what administrative directors do, including the type of work they are tasked with on a daily basis, industries in which they work, and the specific skills needed for a successful career.
Administrative Directors Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about administrative directors by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
Administrative Directors plan, direct, or coordinate one or more administrative services of an organization, such as records and information management, mail distribution, and other office support services. Medical records administrators are included in Medical and Health Services Managers (11-9111).
Popular Job Titles For Administrative Directors
Sample of Reported Job Titles
- Business Office Managers
- Administrative Managers
- Executive Administrators
- Assistant Business Office Managers
- Administrative Services Managers
- Directors of Administration
- Business Services Managers
- Business Managers
- Administrative Directors
- Administrators
- Administrative Support Managers
- Administrative Fellows
Read on for insight into the industries where the highest concentration of jobs for administrative directors can be found.
Best Industries for Administrative Directors
Administrative Directors Jobs By Industry
- Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals: 7.6%
- State Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals: 7.2%
- Management of Companies and Enterprises: 5.4%
- Education and Hospitals (State Government): 4.4%
- Education and Hospitals (Local Government): 3.3%
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools: 2.9%
- Other: 69.2%
When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of administrative directors can be found working in the Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals sector. In 2023, about 7.6% of all jobs for administrative directors were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include State Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals (7.2%), Management of Companies and Enterprises (5.4%), Education and Hospitals (State Government) (4.4%), Education and Hospitals (Local Government) (3.3%) and Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (2.9%).
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What Do Administrative Directors Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what administrative directors do and the types of industries in which they work - but what do they really do each day?
A great way to understand the type of work administrative directors do is to examine actual job postings and focus on the specific skills that employers are seeking. That will help paint a clearer picture of the tasks that administrative directors tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for administrative directors, as well as common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Administrative Directors
Based on 25,723 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Administrative Directors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Office Management | 9,443 | 37% |
| Accounting | 8,347 | 32% |
| Billing | 6,374 | 25% |
| Accounts Receivable | 5,678 | 22% |
| Accounts Payable | 4,824 | 19% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Administrative Directors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 11,414 | 44% |
| Management | 10,908 | 42% |
| Operations | 9,545 | 37% |
| Leadership | 7,521 | 29% |
| Customer Service | 5,927 | 23% |
Based on 25,723 job postings related to administrative directors, office management was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 37% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for accounting, billing, accounts receivable, accounts payable and finance were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for administrative directors, followed by management, operations, leadership, customer service and detail oriented.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Office Management | 9,443 | 37% |
| Accounting | 8,347 | 32% |
| Billing | 6,374 | 25% |
| Accounts Receivable | 5,678 | 22% |
| Accounts Payable | 4,824 | 19% |
| Finance | 4,593 | 18% |
| Administrative Support | 3,967 | 15% |
| Invoicing | 3,605 | 14% |
| Medicaid | 3,535 | 14% |
| Auditing | 2,997 | 12% |
| Medicare | 2,927 | 11% |
| Financial Statements | 2,776 | 11% |
| Bookkeeping | 2,476 | 10% |
| Project Management | 2,450 | 10% |
| Purchasing | 2,216 | 9% |
| Deposit Accounts | 2,047 | 8% |
| Marketing | 2,004 | 8% |
| Long-Term Care | 1,750 | 7% |
| Workflow Management | 1,635 | 6% |
| Office Supply Management | 1,625 | 6% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 11,414 | 44% |
| Management | 10,908 | 42% |
| Operations | 9,545 | 37% |
| Leadership | 7,521 | 29% |
| Customer Service | 5,927 | 23% |
| Detail Oriented | 5,186 | 20% |
| Microsoft Office | 4,990 | 19% |
| Planning | 4,965 | 19% |
| Collections | 4,882 | 19% |
| Administrative Functions | 4,434 | 17% |
| Coordinating | 4,422 | 17% |
| Microsoft Excel | 4,357 | 17% |
| Writing | 3,874 | 15% |
| Problem Solving | 3,861 | 15% |
| Organizational Skills | 3,629 | 14% |
| Research | 3,578 | 14% |
| Scheduling | 3,512 | 14% |
| Budgeting | 3,402 | 13% |
| Business Administration | 3,152 | 12% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 3,060 | 12% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for Administrative Directors
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Business Office Managers | 17,003 | 52.7% |
| Administrative Managers | 2,700 | 8.4% |
| Executive Administrators | 2,049 | 6.3% |
| Assistant Business Office Managers | 2,197 | 6.8% |
| Administrative Services Managers | 902 | 2.8% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2022 and August 2023, the top job sought by employers was business office managers, with 6,942 unique job postings. Administrative managers were second, with 892 postings, followed by executive administrators, assistant business office managers and administrative services managers.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to administrative directors.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Business Office Managers | 17,003 | 52.7% |
| Administrative Managers | 2,700 | 8.4% |
| Executive Administrators | 2,049 | 6.3% |
| Assistant Business Office Managers | 2,197 | 6.8% |
| Administrative Services Managers | 902 | 2.8% |
| Directors of Administration | 671 | 2.1% |
| Business Services Managers | 523 | 1.6% |
| Business Managers | 720 | 2.2% |
| Administrative Directors | 1,102 | 3.4% |
| Administrators | 787 | 2.4% |
| Administrative Support Managers | 361 | 1.1% |
| Administrative Fellows | 453 | 1.4% |
| Administrative Business Partners | 370 | 1.1% |
| Directors of Administrative Services | 330 | 1% |
| Operations Managers | 370 | 1.1% |
| Workplace Managers | 384 | 1.2% |
| Administrative Associates | 425 | 1.3% |
| Fellows | 187 | 0.6% |
| Workplace Services Managers | 407 | 1.3% |
| Business Administrators | 337 | 1% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information for administrative directors? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for administrative directors.
How much do administrative directors make?
Administrative Directors: How do you become one?
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