1. Home: Explore careers
  2. Admin assistant

Admin assistant

Alternative titles for this job include Office administrator, clerical assistant, administrative assistant

Admin assistants give support to businesses by organising meetings, typing documents and updating computer records.

Average salary (a year)

£14,000 Starter

to

£28,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

38 to 40 a week

You could work

between 8am and 6pm

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become Admin assistant

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • applying directly

College

You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job.

Relevant subjects include:

  • Level 2 International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) Certificate in IT User Skills, previously called European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL)
  • Level 2 or 3 Business and Administration
  • T Level in Management and Administration

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

More Information

Apprenticeship

You could get into this job through a business administrator advanced apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

More Information

Work

You might be able to start on a temporary contract through a recruitment agency. Sometimes this can lead to a permanent job. Qualifications or experience in business administration may help.

Volunteering

You could volunteer with a charity in an office based role to get some experience and skills that are useful for administration work.

You can find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.

Direct Application

You could apply directly to become an admin assistant.

Employers may expect you to have:

  • GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent qualifications, including English and maths
  • telephone, typing or IT skills

More Information

Career tips

Time management and the ability to prioritise tasks is really important in administration. This could be tested at interview. For example, you might be given some tasks to complete and asked to arrange them in order of importance.

You can develop your IT and administration skills by doing a free online course through The Skills Toolkit.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • administration skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • the ability to work on your own
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • customer service skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

In this role you could:

  • deal with questions on the phone, by email and on social media
  • greet visitors at reception
  • type letters, reports and other business documents
  • update computer records
  • print and photocopy items
  • order office supplies
  • set up meetings and take notes during them
  • make travel arrangements for staff

Working environment

You could work in an office.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could progress from admin assistant to supervisor or office manager. You could also move into other departments, like IT, payroll or accounting.

With further training, you could specialise in an area like legal, financial or medical administration, become a personal assistant or executive officer.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

Business Administration Apprenticeship

  • Wage: £12,480 a year Annually
  • Location: HA8 6LE

APPRENTICE ADMINISTRATOR

  • Wage: £13,000 a year Annually
  • Location: NORTH CIRCULAR ROAD, LONDON
Find apprenticeships near you

Courses In England

L4 Diploma in Business Administration

  • Provider: WEST THAMES COLLEGE
  • Start date: 23 September 2024
  • Location: Isleworth

T Level in Management and Administration

  • Provider: ERNEST BEVIN ACADEMY
  • Start date: 01 September 2025
  • Location: London
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

Search further careers

Related careers

Skills assessment

Take an assessment to learn more about your skills and the careers that might suit you.

Speak to an adviser

You can call 0800 100 900 or use webchat to speak to an adviser.

We're open:

  • 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday
  • 10am to 5pm Saturdays and bank holidays

We're closed on Sundays, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Is this page useful?

Yes No

Thank you for your feedback.

Thank you for your feedback. Click here if you'd like to let us know how we can improve the service.