First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers: Career Overview
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of clerical and administrative support workers.
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What Do First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers Take On?
The core tasks performed by first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers cover:
- Supervise the work of office, administrative, or customer service employees to ensure adherence to quality standards, deadlines, and proper procedures, correcting errors or problems.
- Resolve customer complaints or answer customers' questions regarding policies and procedures.
- Provide employees with guidance in handling difficult or complex problems or in resolving escalated complaints or disputes.
- Review records or reports pertaining to activities such as production, payroll, or shipping to verify details, monitor work activities, or evaluate performance.
- Discuss job performance problems with employees to identify causes and issues and to work on resolving problems.
- Prepare and issue work schedules, deadlines, and duty assignments for office or administrative staff.
- Recruit, interview, and select employees.
- Interpret and communicate work procedures and company policies to staff.
Skills and Knowledge
Top first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Accounting Administrator
- Accounting Clerks Supervisor
- Accounting Director
- Accounting Manager
- Accounting Supervisor
- Accounts Payable Manager
- Accounts Payable Supervisor
- Accounts Receivable Manager
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 1,912,461 first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to decline by -0.4% over the projection horizon.
Salary for First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $27,636 |
| Hourly median | $13.29 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $23,670 |
| 75th percentile | $31,602 |
| 90th percentile | $35,568 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $82,280 |
| Washington | $77,630 |
| New York | $77,230 |
| Connecticut | $76,000 |
| Rhode Island | $75,920 |
| Massachusetts | $75,240 |
| California | $75,090 |
| Minnesota | $74,160 |
| New Jersey | $73,740 |
| Colorado | $73,430 |
| Delaware | $73,020 |
| New Hampshire | $71,370 |
| Maryland | $69,720 |
| Oregon | $68,730 |
| Vermont | $67,620 |
| Alaska | $67,030 |
| Indiana | $66,910 |
| Wisconsin | $66,800 |
| Illinois | $66,010 |
| Virginia | $65,670 |
| North Dakota | $64,790 |
| Tennessee | $64,760 |
| Texas | $64,320 |
| Michigan | $64,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,990 |
| Utah | $63,970 |
| Hawaii | $63,470 |
| Maine | $63,390 |
| Georgia | $63,120 |
| South Carolina | $63,040 |
| Arizona | $63,030 |
| Ohio | $62,820 |
| Kansas | $62,400 |
| Florida | $62,290 |
| Missouri | $62,260 |
| Iowa | $61,970 |
| Wyoming | $61,880 |
| Kentucky | $61,130 |
| North Carolina | $61,030 |
| New Mexico | $60,820 |
| Oklahoma | $60,730 |
| Nebraska | $60,730 |
| Nevada | $60,710 |
| Montana | $60,560 |
| Alabama | $59,440 |
| Idaho | $59,280 |
| South Dakota | $59,230 |
| Arkansas | $56,640 |
| Louisiana | $55,480 |
| Virgin Islands | $54,240 |
| Mississippi | $53,440 |
| West Virginia | $51,700 |
| Guam | $41,800 |
| Puerto Rico | $39,990 |
Where First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers Earn the Most
Compensation for first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $74,219 | 5.5% | 1.21 |
| Far Western US | $73,584 | 15.9% | 0.98 |
| Middle Atlantic | $72,045 | 15.7% | 1.06 |
| Rocky Mountains | $67,144 | 3.9% | 1.00 |
| Plains States | $65,309 | 5.6% | 0.84 |
| Great Lakes | $65,025 | 10.9% | 0.78 |
| Southwest | $63,715 | 15.3% | 1.23 |
| Southeast | $61,681 | 25.9% | 1.09 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $92,590 | 8,390 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $83,020 | 19,640 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | WA | $79,300 | 350 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $78,750 | 20,100 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $78,310 | 94,210 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $78,140 | 640 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $78,120 | 6,450 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $76,980 | 29,130 |
Top Industries Employing First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
Most first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 250,320 | $62,240 |
| Finance and Insurance | 184,520 | $72,590 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 122,400 | $72,320 |
| Retail Trade | 113,620 | $58,560 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 105,510 | $61,730 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 95,390 | $77,430 |
| Educational Services | 73,490 | $65,250 |
| Manufacturing | 70,470 | $74,730 |
Below are examples of industries where first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers work:
Software First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers Use
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Medical software: Henry Schein Dentrix (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Getting Started in This Career
Typical first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Human Resources Specialists (Supplemental)
- Project Management Specialists (Supplemental)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers (Primary-Short)
- First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services (Primary-Short)
- First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers commonly pursue programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
3 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-1011.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers).