Administrative assistant job description template

What a administrative assistant does

An administrative assistant is the person everyone in the department goes to when they don't know who else to ask. The work is part scheduling, part document handling, part problem solving, and it shifts depending on the team. Because "admin" means something different in every company, the most useful thing your description can do is name the team, the tools, and the two or three tasks that eat most of the week.

Administrative assistant job description template

Copy the description, replace everything in [brackets], and cut any line that isn't true for your job. The duties and requirements are a starting point written by HR practitioners, not a legal standard, so edit them to match the real work.

Administrative assistant

Details
- Department: [Department]
- Reports to: [Manager title]
- Location: [City, State, or remote]
- Employment type: [Full-time, part-time, or seasonal]
- FLSA status: Nonexempt
- Pay range: [$X to $Y per hour]

About [Company]
[Two or three sentences about what your company does, who it serves, and why people like working here.]

Job summary
We're hiring an administrative assistant to keep our [team or department] organized, handle scheduling and documents, and be the reliable point of contact that helps everyone else get their work done.

What you'll do
- Manage calendars, schedule meetings, and book conference rooms and travel.
- Prepare, format, and proofread documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
- Answer phones and emails, and route requests to the right person.
- Order office supplies and track department spending against budget.
- Keep paper and digital files organized and up to date.
- Take notes in meetings and follow up on action items.
- Process expense reports, purchase orders, and invoices.
- Coordinate onboarding logistics for new team members, such as desks and equipment.

What you'll need
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Strong skills in [Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace].
- Clear written and spoken communication.
- Ability to manage several priorities and meet deadlines.

Nice to have
- Associate degree or business coursework.
- Two years of administrative experience in a [industry] office.
- Experience with [CRM, ERP, or project tools].

Skills
Organization, Calendar management, Written communication, Discretion, Spreadsheet skills, Follow through.

Physical demands and work environment
Office setting. Mostly seated computer work, with occasional lifting of supply boxes up to 25 pounds.

Pay and benefits
[$X to $Y per hour], based on experience and location. [List benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plan match, paid time off, and training.]

Equal opportunity
[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview, contact [name] at [email or phone].

How to customize it for your job

• Name the team or executives the assistant will support.
• List the specific software they'll use daily.
• Say whether the role is in office, hybrid, or remote.
• Clarify whether the job includes reception duties.

Then check it against the HRTally job description standard, our 10-point checklist, and run it through the inclusive language swap list. Both take about five minutes.

How much to pay a administrative assistant

Half of US secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive earned more than $22.86 an hour in May 2025, and half earned less, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That national figure is a starting point, not a pay range. Pay for the same job can differ by 30 percent or more between metro areas, so check the BLS occupation profile for state and metro data before you set your range.

For hourly roles, the legal floor matters as much as the market rate. Check the current rate where the job is based in our minimum wage by state table, and the state's overtime and break rules in our state labor law library.

To convert between hourly and annual pay, use our salary to hourly calculator. If you hire in a state or city with a pay transparency law, the range must appear in the posting itself. Our pay transparency laws guide lists where, and our guide to salary bands explains how to set ranges you can defend.

Exempt status, licenses, and legal notes

FLSA status: Nonexempt (overtime eligible). Job titles don't decide overtime eligibility. Duties and pay do. Our guide to exempt vs non-exempt employees walks through each test, and the overtime calculator shows what a nonexempt employee is owed.

Most administrative assistants are nonexempt. The administrative exemption requires that the primary duty include discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance, and the DOL has repeatedly said that clerical work such as filing, scheduling, and data entry doesn't qualify. Paying an assistant a salary doesn't change this. Track hours and pay overtime, including time spent answering email after hours.

This is general information for US employers, not legal advice. Laws change and vary by state and city, so confirm the current rules or talk to employment counsel before you rely on them.

Interview questions to ask

Ask every candidate the same core questions and score answers against the same criteria. Structured interviews are fairer and predict job performance better than open conversation.

1. Tell me about a time two people needed something from you at the same moment. How did you decide?
2. How do you keep track of recurring deadlines?
3. Walk me through how you'd plan a two-day offsite for 20 people.
4. What would you do if you found an error in a document after it went out?

When you're ready to schedule, use our interview invitation email template. For a full hiring process, read the recruitment process guide.

Frequently asked questions