Administrative Services Assistants: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of administrative services assistants about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for administrative services assistants to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of administrative services assistants expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for administrative services assistants.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Administrative Services Assistants?
Do administrative services assistants need a degree? What kind of experience do administrative services assistants typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for administrative services assistants to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Administrative Services Assistants
Jobs Postings for Administrative Services Assistants By Education
- No Education Listed: 26,768 (32%)
- Bachelor's degree: 26,434 (32%)
- High School or GED: 25,947 (31%)
- Master's degree: 2,925 (4%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 920 (1%)
No education was listed by most employers of administrative services assistants. According to job data, no education was required for 32% of positions. In 32% of job listings a bachelor's degree was required and in 31% of postings a High School diploma or GED was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Administrative Services Assistants
Jobs Postings for Administrative Services Assistants By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 16,514 (38%)
- 2-3 Years: 21,369 (49%)
- 4-6 Years: 4,977 (11%)
- 7-9 Years: 589 (1%)
- 10+ Years: 301 (1%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for administrative services assistants. In 49% of job postings for Administrative Services Assistants, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 38% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 11% of job postings for administrative services assistants.
What Kind of Degree Do Administrative Services Assistants Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for administrative services assistants, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 4 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective administrative services assistants, and in 2023 a total of 163,060 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective administrative services assistants.
Top Degree Programs for Administrative Services Assistants
Top 5 Degree Programs for Administrative Services Assistants (2023)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 143,660 |
| Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General. | 16,602 |
| Human Resources Development. | 1,731 |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution. | 1,067 |
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Degree Options for Administrative Services Assistants
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Learn the strategic skills needed to be a leader in the evolving field of Human Resources.
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What Skills Do Administrative Services Assistants Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by administrative services assistants to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for administrative services assistants, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Administrative Services Assistants
Based on 78,912 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Administrative Services Assistants
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Support | 14,880 | 19% |
| Human Resources Information System (HRIS) | 14,792 | 19% |
| Auditing | 10,960 | 14% |
| Data Entry | 9,799 | 12% |
| Employee Relations | 7,081 | 9% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Administrative Services Assistants
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 35,307 | 45% |
| Customer Service | 23,555 | 30% |
| Detail Oriented | 23,221 | 29% |
| Management | 21,340 | 27% |
| Microsoft Office | 20,360 | 26% |
Based on 78,912 job postings related to administrative services assistants, administrative support was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 19% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for human resources information system (hris), auditing, data entry, employee relations and employee onboarding were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for administrative services assistants, followed by customer service, detail oriented, management, microsoft office and microsoft excel.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Support | 14,880 | 19% |
| Human Resources Information System (HRIS) | 14,792 | 19% |
| Auditing | 10,960 | 14% |
| Data Entry | 9,799 | 12% |
| Employee Relations | 7,081 | 9% |
| Employee Onboarding | 7,038 | 9% |
| Applicant Tracking Systems | 5,479 | 7% |
| Office Equipment | 4,950 | 6% |
| Invoicing | 4,832 | 6% |
| Human Resource Management | 4,785 | 6% |
| Accounting | 4,296 | 5% |
| Payroll Processing | 3,732 | 5% |
| Office Supply Management | 3,636 | 5% |
| Benefits Enrollment Processes | 3,483 | 4% |
| Labor Law | 3,347 | 4% |
| Project Management | 3,290 | 4% |
| Marketing | 3,085 | 4% |
| Performance Management | 2,975 | 4% |
| Benefits Administration | 2,927 | 4% |
| Bilingual (Spanish/English) | 2,759 | 3% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 35,307 | 45% |
| Customer Service | 23,555 | 30% |
| Detail Oriented | 23,221 | 29% |
| Management | 21,340 | 27% |
| Microsoft Office | 20,360 | 26% |
| Microsoft Excel | 18,447 | 23% |
| Writing | 15,568 | 20% |
| Organizational Skills | 14,896 | 19% |
| Operations | 14,566 | 18% |
| Administrative Functions | 14,399 | 18% |
| Clerical Works | 13,597 | 17% |
| Coordinating | 12,429 | 16% |
| Scheduling | 12,341 | 16% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 11,722 | 15% |
| Filing | 11,230 | 14% |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 11,169 | 14% |
| Problem Solving | 10,986 | 14% |
| Microsoft Outlook | 10,844 | 14% |
| Multitasking | 10,355 | 13% |
| Time Management | 10,354 | 13% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about administrative services assistants? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for administrative services assistants.
What do administrative services assistants do?
How much do administrative services assistants make?
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