OfficeTeam Releases 2011 Guide to Administrative Salaries; Annual Study Projects Little Change in Compensation for Office Support Positions

MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Base pay for administrative professionals across the United States is expected to remain consistent with 2010 levels, according to the just-released OfficeTeam Salary Guide 2011 (www.officeteam.com/salarycenter). The average increase in starting salaries for all positions is 1.1 percent, with slightly larger gains forecast in areas where demand has risen for support staff, such as customer service and healthcare.  

OfficeTeam is a leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. This is OfficeTeam's 16th year publishing its annual Salary Guide. The data in the Salary Guide 2011 are national average starting salaries and based on an analysis of the thousands of job placements managed by the company's offices. The Salary Guide 2011 is accompanied by the OfficeTeam Salary Center, featuring additional analysis on hiring and compensation trends, and the OfficeTeam Salary Calculator, which allows users to quickly determine the starting salary range for a specific position and location.  

Other findings from the OfficeTeam Salary Guide 2011 include:

• Executive assistants can expect starting salaries to rise an average of 3.4 percent, to the range of $35,750 to $49,000.  
• Base compensation for administrative assistants will increase 2.5 percent, to $26,500 to $35,500 annually.
• Starting salaries for receptionists will decrease 0.5 percent, to the range of $21,000 to $28,500 per year.
• Human resources assistants will see an average base compensation of $26,750 to $36,500, a 0.8 percent increase over this year.  
• Office clerks can expect starting salaries in the range of $20,250 to $26,500, a decrease of 1.1 percent.
• Base compensation for customer service managers will be between $35,750 and $49,500, a 2.1 percent increase.
• Starting salaries for medical executive assistants will be in the range of $35,000 to $47,250, an increase of 2.5 percent.

"Starting compensation in the administrative field is expected to remain at or near 2010 levels," said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. "However, salaries in some areas, such as healthcare and customer service, are seeing modest gains as companies look to bring in support staff with specific industry experience."

Skills and Attributes Sought

Businesses continue to seek intermediate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. Job candidates with expertise in Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Access, database management software, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, and monitoring of social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn also will be invaluable as administrative professionals take on responsibilities in new areas at companies.

Industry Trends

Healthcare reform, an aging population and the move toward electronic medical records are creating growing demand for professionals in the healthcare field. In addition, the manufacturing and financial services industries will continue to expand and require additional support staff.

About the OfficeTeam Salary Guide 2011

All salaries listed in the Salary Guide 2011 are national averages. Because compensation varies significantly by geographic market, the guide includes information to customize the data for more than 130 U.S. cities.

For years, companies have consulted the Salary Guide to determine appropriate compensation for administrative professionals at all levels. In addition, educational institutions and research entities such as the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics have referenced the guide for the most comprehensive information on compensation and hiring.

About OfficeTeam

OfficeTeam is the nation's leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled office and administrative support professionals. The company has more than 320 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.officeteam.com.  

SOURCE OfficeTeam