Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Short-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Office and administrative support workers, all other fill a broad range of support roles across many organizations. Nationally, this occupation employs about 233,000 workers, indicating a sizable presence in the labor market. The typical entry point is a high school diploma or equivalent, making it accessible to people starting their careers or changing fields. Successful workers use a mix of computers and information technology, customer service, interpersonal, and writing and reading skills, supported by detail orientation and adaptability. Speaking and listening, basic mathematics, fine motor abilities, and project management skills also contribute to effectiveness in these roles. While national projected employment growth is -7.8%, there are still an estimated 21,000 annual openings, reflecting ongoing hiring needs. Median pay at the national level is $46,040, with some states and metro areas offering higher salaries. People considering this path can also look at similar roles such as office clerks, financial clerks, word processors and typists, file clerks, and insurance claims and policy processing clerks.
The national median annual salary for office and administrative support workers, all other is $46,040. However, pay varies by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, California shows a median salary of $54,020, while Colorado, Washington, and Virginia are in a similar range, between $50,190 and $53,460. Massachusetts, by contrast, has a median salary of $40,810, which is lower than the national median. At the metro level, some areas stand out for higher earnings. San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA has a median salary of $61,790, and San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA is nearly identical at $61,780. Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV offers $57,160, while Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA-NH and Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA are in the low $50,000s. This range shows that location choices can significantly influence earning potential within this occupation.
Office and administrative support workers, all other currently have national employment of about 233,000. The occupation’s projected employment growth rate is -7.8%, indicating an expected decline in overall employment levels over the projection period. Even with this negative growth rate, there are still an estimated 21,000 annual openings. These openings can come from multiple types of staffing changes, such as workers moving to other occupations, retiring, or otherwise leaving their positions. Because of this, people entering the field may still find opportunities, even while total employment is projected to decrease. The -7.8% growth rate appears consistently across the top states and top metro areas listed, suggesting that the overall outlook pattern is similar in many regions. Prospective workers should be aware that competition for roles may be influenced by both the projected decline and the ongoing flow of openings.
Location makes a meaningful difference for office and administrative support workers, all other, both in pay and employment concentration. Among the top states by opportunity score, California offers a median salary of $54,020 and the largest listed employment level at 23,120. Virginia also has relatively high employment at 5,890 with a median salary of $53,170. Washington and Colorado combine mid-range employment (3,240 and 1,650) with median salaries around the low $50,000s. Massachusetts shows lower listed employment at 930 and a median salary of $40,810, but still ranks highly on opportunity score. At the metro level, differences are also clear. Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA has the highest listed employment at 7,130 with a median salary of $52,780. Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV also has sizable employment at 5,910 and a median of $57,160. San Jose and San Francisco feature higher median salaries above $61,000 but smaller listed employment counts than Los Angeles and Washington. These patterns highlight tradeoffs between salary levels, employment size, and opportunity scores across regions.
The typical education requirement for office and administrative support workers, all other is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the field accessible to individuals who have completed secondary education and are ready to enter the workforce without needing a college degree. However, success in these roles depends heavily on a well-rounded skill set. Key skills include computers and information technology, which support everyday office tasks, and customer service, interpersonal, speaking, and listening abilities for working with colleagues and clients. Writing and reading skills and being detail oriented help with accurate documentation and communication. Mathematics skills support tasks that involve numbers, while fine motor abilities can be important for precise manual activities. Adaptability and project management skills round out the profile, helping workers adjust to changing priorities and organize their work effectively. Together, these abilities can help candidates make the most of the opportunities available in this occupation, even with a relatively modest formal education requirement.
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