www.officeteam.com
SALARIES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS TO RISE IN 2007
Senior-Level Staff to See Biggest Gains
Base compensation for administrative professionals across the country is
expected to rise an average of 3.5 percent in 2007, according to the
just-released OfficeTeam 2007 Salary Guide. This reflects continued
demand for highly skilled office support and administrative employees.
OfficeTeam is a leading staffing service specializing in highly skilled
administrative professionals. The 2007 Salary Guide is based on an
analysis of the thousands of job placements managed by the company’s North
American offices.
“Firms recognize they must offer competitive compensation to attract the best
employees,” said Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. “Senior-level
administrative professionals who can manage office activities and other support
staff are in especially high demand and may see more significant gains in
starting salaries in 2007.”
Skills and Attributes Sought
Employers will seek administrative professionals with demonstrated industry
experience and company knowledge who can make immediate contributions to the
organization. In addition to superior technical skills, hiring managers also
will look for candidates who show initiative and a commitment to continuing
education, and can be flexible to meet shifting and expanding work
responsibilities.
Industry Trends
Skilled administrative professionals are expected to be in demand in several
industries, including manufacturing, financial services and commercial real
estate. The healthcare field also will continue to expand its use of experienced
administrative personnel, OfficeTeam research shows. Since compensation varies
by geographic region, the Salary Guide provides regional variance data to help
hiring managers adjust starting salaries for specific markets.
Other key findings from the OfficeTeam 2007 Salary Guide include:
Senior office/facilities managers can expect starting salaries to rise an average of 8.2 percent, to the range of $37,500 to $52,000.
Senior executive assistants will see average starting salaries of $39,000 to $54,750, a 6.5 percent increase over this year.
Sales assistants can expect base compensation in the range of $26,250 to $34,000, an increase of 3.4 percent over 2006.
Receptionists will see starting salaries increase 4.9 percent, to the range of $21,000 to $26,750 per year.
Base compensation for customer service/call center representatives will increase 3.6 percent, with starting salaries in the range of $21,500 to $29,000.
Average starting salaries for data entry specialists will increase 5 percent, bringing base compensation to the range of $21,000 to $26,000 annually.
Medical executive assistants will see starting salaries increase 5.6 percent, to the range of $33,000 to $43,000 per year.
The
Importance of Certification
Certification and specialization can further increase base compensation, as
companies continue to seek job candidates with specific expertise. According to
OfficeTeam research, employers are willing to pay an average of 7 percent more
for designations such as Certified Administrative Professional and Certified
Professional Secretary, and an average of 10 percent more for Microsoft Office
Specialist Certification. Bilingual applicants can command starting salaries as
much as 9 percent higher than non-bilingual candidates.
Starting salary information in the OfficeTeam 2007 Salary Guide is based
on the thousands of job orders handled in North America each year by OfficeTeam
staffing managers. Continuing or ongoing salaries are not reported since many
factors -- such as seniority, work ethic, performance and training -- impact a
full-time employee’s compensation as a work history develops.
# # #
Readers can order a free copy of the OfficeTeam 2007 Salary Guide by
visiting www.officeteam.com
or calling (800) 804-8367.