Profile of Administrative Professionals
Results from IAAP February 2005 Benchmarking Survey—3,200 total responses
In February 2005, a total of 15,000 members of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) were randomly selected and asked to participate in a benchmarking survey designed to gather current data on job titles, key responsibilities, average salaries, job satisfaction, technology usage, training needs and other key issues relating to today’s administrative professionals. More than 3,200 members submitted their survey answers by the February 26 response deadline. Below are some of the survey results. (Note: Some percentage results may not total 100% because of rounding to nearest whole number)
Key Findings
- Almost nine out of ten administrative professionals said they are responding to new job demands by contributing more to their organizations than they were five years ago. In addition, 88% said their workplace contributions have increased in the past five years. Along with greater contributions, more than three-fourths—78%—said their level of authority and autonomy for decision making has grown over the past five years.
- Areas in which IAAP respondents said their responsibilities have grown the most are office management, information coordination and supervision. Other areas in which responsibilities increased include travel planning, meeting planning, project management and online purchasing. Budget development and expense tracking were also noted as key areas frequently handled by administrative staff.
- Administrative professionals in the survey reported a high level of job satisfaction—7.7 on a scale of 1 to 10. When asked what aspect of their jobs they enjoy most, 40% cited “playing an important role in the organization.” Other job aspects most enjoyed are: organizing and coordinating, 22%; dealing with people, 12%; and using technical skills, 11%. Many respondents also noted that they appreciate the variety of responsibilities that their jobs offer.
- The greatest job challenges cited by admins are juggling multiple priorities, dealing with difficult people, and lack of time to handle the volume of work.
- Administrative professionals rated their managers well, giving them an average score of 7.2 out of 10 on how well they utilize the admin’s job skills and abilities. Over 57% were very satisfied with the level of communications their managers maintain with them.
- IAAP members have seen their salaries increase. The 2005 survey results show 45% of members earning more than $40,000 in base salary annually, compared to 33% in a similar 2002 survey and just 8% in 1997.
- Survey respondents said the top five most significant issues affecting the administrative profession in the next five to 10 years are: 1) Keeping up with changing technology; 2) Increased workload; 3) Doing more with less resources/budget constraints; 4) Balancing work and family; 5) Need for more training in management and supervisory skills.
COMPLETE SURVEY RESULTS Survey results based on total of 3,200 responses
Current job title
| Administrative Assistant |
30% |
| Executive Assistant |
18% |
| Executive Secretary |
6% |
| Office Manager or Supervisor |
5% |
| Secretary |
5% |
| Administrative Secretary |
4% |
| Administrative Coordinator |
3% |
| Assistant to [Exec Title] |
2% |
| Administrative Manager |
1% |
| Other responses |
26% |
"Administrative Assistant" continues to be the most commonly used job title -- administrative assistant was also the most commonly reported title in similar IAAP surveys done in 2002 and 1997. More than one fourth (26%) of those surveyed reported a wide range of titles using terms such as coordinator, administrator, specialist, associate, or denoting specialized business types or functions such as legal, accounting, medical, human resources, Note "Other responses" link above for listing of more than 500 job titles of survey respondents.
Primary career goal
| Remain in the administrative professional field |
41% |
| Advance career within my company |
20% |
| Retire |
9% |
| Move into management |
8% |
| Own my own business |
4% |
| Work as self-employed virtual assistant |
4% |
| Change careers |
4% |
| Not sure |
6% |
| Other responses |
4% |
Majority of survey respondents (61%) either want to remain in the administrative field or advance career with their current employer.
Enjoy most about being an administrative professional...
| Playing an important role in the organization |
40% |
| Organizing and coordinating information/projects |
22% |
| Dealing with people |
12% |
| Using my technical skills |
11% |
| Producing quality documents, reports, publications |
7% |
| Representing my manager(s) |
6% |
| Making decisions |
2% |
| Other responses |
|
When asked what aspect of their jobs they enjoy most, 40% cite “playing an important role in the organization.” Many respondents also noted that they appreciate the variety of tasks and responsibilities their jobs offer.
Current level of overall job satisfaction in current position
| Overall rating: 7.7 (On rating scale of 0 to 10; 10 being most satisfied;0 least satisfied) |
Administrative professionals in the survey report a relatively high level of job satisfaction – 7.7 on a scale of 0 to 10.
Most important job satisfaction factors(On rating scale of 0 to 10; 10 being most important job factor; 0 least important job factor)
| Good working relationship with managers and co-workers |
9.3 |
| Good salary, fringe benefits |
9.2 |
| Self-satisfaction |
9.1 |
| Opportunity to learn, grow |
9.0 |
| Variety of duties, challenges |
8.9 |
| Geographic location |
8.7 |
| Corporate culture, atmosphere |
8.3 |
| Opportunity for advancement |
8.1 |
| Work/business hours |
8.1 |
| Employer paid educational courses |
7.5 |
| Status, recognition |
7.3 |
Good working relationships with managers and coworkers, good salary/fringe benefits, and opportunities for self-satisfaction in work tasks/responsibilities are the top three job satisfaction factors cited in the IAAP survey.
Rating of most significant issues affecting the administrative profession in next five to 10 years (On rating scale of 0-10; 10 being most significant; 0 least significant)
| Keeping up with changing technology |
8.9 |
| Increased workload |
7.9 |
| Doing more with less resources/cost |
7.9 |
| Balancing work and family |
7.8 |
| Need for more managerial training |
7.7 |
| Corporate downsizing |
7.1 |
| Corporate offshoring/outsourcing |
6.2 |
| Other responses |
|
Survey respondents rate "keeping up with changing technology" as most significant issue affecting the administrative profession in next five to 10 years. Through the past few decades, most administrative professionals have mastered integrated computer software and other advanced technological tools. However, since technologies rapidly change and computer hardware/software is regularly updated to newer versions, administrative professionals must constantly adapt to keep up with the latest technological tools.
Overall contribution within your organization as an administrative professional increased or decreased over the last five years
| Increased significantly |
53% |
| Increased some |
35% |
| Stayed the same |
8% |
| Decreased |
4% | Almost nine out of ten administrative professionals say they are contributing more to their organizations than they were five years ago.
Level of authority and autonomy in assigned decision-making responsibility increased in the past five years
| Increased some |
48% |
| Increased significantly |
30% |
| Stayed the same |
18% |
| Decreased |
4% |
More than three quarters (78%) of those surveyed say their level of authority and autonomy in decision-making has grown during past five years.
Areas of job responsibilities that have increased most over past five years (On rating scale of 0 to 10; 10 being area of most increased responsibilities; 0 being area of least increase in responsibilities)
| 1. General office management/information coordination/supervision |
6.5 |
| 2. Travel planning |
6.0 |
| 3. Meeting planning |
5.9 |
| 4. Project management - more long-term projects |
5.8 |
| 5. Main liaison to corporate manager/VIP |
5.7 |
| 6. Online purchasing |
5.4 |
| 7. Software training/troubleshooting |
5.2 |
| 8. Storage and retrieval of information (both paper and electronic formats) |
5.0 |
| 9. Desktop publishing |
4.2 |
| 10. Software adaptor (adapting software to particular company needs) |
3.8 |
| 11. Negotiator (with clients and vendors) |
3.7 |
| 12. Team leader dealing with offsite coworkers, traveling execs |
3.6 |
| 13. Web site design or content management |
2.3 |
| Other responses |
|
Areas in which administrative professionals say their responsibilities have grown the most are general office management, information coordination, and supervision. Other areas included travel and meeting planning, more long-term project management and serving as liaison to corporate managers/executives. Budget and expense tracking were also noted as key areas increasingly handled by administrative support staff.
Rating of importance of following workplace challenges pertaining to day-to-day job responsibilities/tasks (On rating scale of 0 to 10; 10 being most important; 0 least important)
| Juggling multiple priorities |
8.4 |
| Dealing with difficult people and personalities |
6.1 |
| Volume of work |
6.1 |
| Understanding and using technology |
6.0 |
| Serving multiple supervisors |
5.7 |
| Adapting to organizational changes |
4.5 |
| Working for difficult supervisor |
3.4 |
| Lack of equipment/facilities to do job well |
3.0 |
| Other responses |
|
Juggling multiple priorities was rated as most important workplace challenge pertaining to an admin's day-to-day job responsibilities -- reflecting the need for multi-tasking abilities and effective time management skills in today's fast-paced workplaces.
Current annual base salary income (in U.S. dollars)
| Less than $15,000 |
1% |
| $15,000–$24,999 |
7% |
| $25,000–$29,999 |
10% |
| $30,000–$34,999 |
17% |
| $35,000–$39,999 |
19% |
| $40,000–$44,999 |
16% |
| $45,000–$49,999 |
13% |
| $50,000–$54,999 |
7% |
| $55,000–$59,999 |
5% |
| $60,000–$64,999 |
2% |
| $65,000–$69,999 |
1% |
| $70,00+ |
2% |
The 2005 survey results show 45% of IAAP members, who are generally more experienced, earning more than $40,000 in base salary annually, compared to 33% in a similar 2002 survey and just 8% in 1997.
Wages paid hourly or salary
Eligible for...
| Overtime |
59% |
| Bonus |
36% |
| Comp time |
35% |
| Flex time |
33% |
| None/NA |
15% |
Last salary increase
| Less than one year ago |
66% |
| One to two years ago |
25% |
| More than two years ago |
6% |
| Have not received increase |
3% |
Amount of last salary increase
| Less than 5% |
75% |
| 5 to 10% |
22% |
| More than 10% |
3% |
Rating of factors contributing to most recent salary increase (On scale of 1 to 10; 10 being most significant factor; 0 being least significant factor)
| Merit |
7.1 |
| Annual/automatic |
5.7 |
| Increased responsibility |
4.8 |
| Cost of living |
4.5 |
| New technical skills |
2.9 |
| Continuing education |
2.2 |
| Promotion |
2.1 |
| Certification attainment |
2.1 |
| Other responses |
|
Training provided by employer
Hours of training per year provided by employer (on-site and off-site)
| 11+ |
42% |
| 5-10 |
23% |
| 1-4 |
19% |
| None/NA |
16% |
Training most needed in following areas (Ranked in order of overall rated importance)
| 1. Computer software applications |
| 2. Technology applications, such as Web conferencing |
| 3. Supervisory/management skills |
| 4. Project management |
| 5. Public speaking/presentation skills |
| 6. IT systems/hardware/system networks |
| 7. Time management |
| 8. Organizational skills |
| 9. Negotiating |
| 10. Meeting and special event planning |
| 11. Writing and grammar skills |
| 12. Teamwork |
| 13. Another language |
| Other responses |
Post-secondary education achieved
| College/University - Some credit classes |
24% |
| Junior/Community College - Associate degree |
16% |
| College/University - Bachelor's degree |
15% |
| Junior/Community College - Some credit classes |
13% |
| Business/Technical School/College - 2-yr. program |
6% |
| Business/Technical School/College - (9-12 month program) |
6% |
| Business/Technical School/College - 1-year program |
3% |
| College/University - Some post-graduate |
3% |
| College/University - Master's degree |
2% |
| College/University - Doctorate |
1% |
| None |
11% |
89% of those surveyed have at least some post-secondary education and/or achieved post-secondary academic degrees
Employer provides sufficient tools and resources to allow you to do your job effectively
Computer software used at work
| Word processing |
99% |
| E-Mail |
99% |
| Spreadsheet |
95% |
| Scheduling/Calendaring |
88% |
| Presentation |
62% |
| Database management |
59% |
| Desktop publishing |
39% |
| Accounting |
29% |
| Project management |
17% |
| Web design |
14% |
| Authoring |
8% |
| Voice recognition |
5% |
Troubleshoot and/or train coworkers in computer applications
| Yes |
57% |
| No |
35% |
| Not applicable |
8% |
More than half (57%) of those surveyed troubleshoot or train coworkers in computer applications.
Technological tools provided by employer for access/use
| Networked PC |
95% |
| Color printer |
85% |
| Scanner |
69% |
| Access to work e-mail from home |
61% |
| CD burner |
60% |
| Teleconferencing system |
48% |
| Digital copier |
47% |
| Digital camera |
42% |
| Laptop computer |
35% |
| Videoconferencing system |
34% |
| Wireless Internet access |
28% |
| Employer-provided cell phone |
15% |
| PDA/Hand-held computer |
12% |
| Voice recognition software |
5% |
Technology tools or upgrades not currently provided by employer that would most useful to increase productivity/efficiency
| Faster/more power computer |
36% |
| Additional software/upgraded software |
30% |
| Laptop computer |
21% |
| PDA/Hand-held computer |
20% |
| Larger computer monitor |
20% |
| Scanner |
16% |
| Cell phone |
15% |
| Wireless Internet access |
13% |
| Color printer |
12% |
| CD burner |
12% |
| Digital copier |
9% |
| Digital camera |
7% |
| Corporate Intranet |
3% |
| Other responses |
|
Number of executives supported
| 0 |
5% |
| 1-2 |
54% |
| 3-4 |
26% |
| 5-10 |
11% |
| 11 or more |
4% |
54% of the IAAP members surveyed say they directly support only one to two managers. In a similar 2002 survey, 57% said they supported one to two managers. Staffing ratios of management/executive staff in relation to administrative support staff depends on several factors, such as work volume and the nature of the tasks and responsibilities delegated to the administrative support level, how work flows in the organization, and many other varying factors.
Rating of how well immediate manager/supervisor utilizes current job skills and abilities
| Overall rating: 7.2 (On rating scale of 0 to 10 – 10 being most full utilization of job skills/abilities; 0 being least utilization of job skills/abilities |
Administrative professionals rate their managers relatively well, giving them an average score of 7.2 out of 10 on how well they utilize the admin's job skills and abilities.
Level of satisfaction with amount and effectiveness of communication between immediate supervisor/manager and yourself
| Very satisfied |
57% |
| Somewhat satisfied |
32% |
| Not satisfied – supervisor is very poor communicator |
11% |
Rating of qualities that are most important in a manager/supervisor/boss (On rating scale of 0 to 10 – 10 being most important quality; 0 being least important quality)
| Effective communicator |
9.6 |
| Is approachable |
9.5 |
| Stands up for employees |
9.3 |
| Knows his/her job and has an effective vision for success |
9.3 |
| Gives feedback and praise when warranted |
9.1 |
| Well-organized; gives clear direction |
9.0 |
| Delegates meaningful tasks |
8.8 |
| Understands work processes |
8.7 |
| Other responses |
|
Effective communication and being approachable rate as most important qualities in a manager/supervisor.
Receive and organize e-mail addressed to supervisor
| Seldom/Never |
47% |
| Sometimes |
37% |
| Always |
16% |
Estimated average annual level of turnover among administrative employees in your organization
| 0-5% |
54% |
| 6-10% |
17% |
| 11-15% |
8% |
| 20-25% |
5% |
| 30% or higher |
3% |
| Unsure |
13% |
Level of satisfaction with the following workspace environmental factors (On rating scale of 0 to 10; 10 being highest level of satisfaction; 0 being lowest level of satisfaction)
| Lighting |
7.3 |
| Comfort level, in general |
7.2 |
| Seating |
7.1 |
| Task space |
6.9 |
| Common spaces |
6.7 |
| Noise Level |
6.0 |
| Privacy |
5.5 |
| Storage space |
5.4 |
Telecommute?
| No |
79% |
| Yes, but only occasionally (avg. less than 20 hours per week) |
12% |
| Yes, frequently work from home (avg. 20 or more hours per week) |
7% |
| Not applicable |
2% |
Rating of employer organization in terms of adapting to change and level of innovation
| Somewhat innovative |
48% |
| Highly innovative - quickly adapts to changing industry trends |
43% |
| Low innovation - mostly satisfied with status quo |
9% |
91% of those surveyed rated their employers as either highly or somewhat innovative in terms of adapting to change.
Industry Type
| Healthcare |
14% |
| Education/training |
12% |
| Manufacturing |
10% |
| Non-profit |
5% |
| Finance/banking |
5% |
| Local city/municipal government |
5% |
| Utilities |
4% |
| Federal government |
4% |
| Technology |
4% |
| Engineering/architecture |
3% |
| Insurance |
3% |
| State/provincial government |
3% |
| Service |
3% |
| Legal |
2% |
| Sales/marketing |
2% |
| Accounting |
2% |
| Telecommunications |
2% |
| Real estate |
1% |
| Pharmaceutical |
1% |
| Retail |
1% |
| Personnel/human resources |
1% |
| Media |
1% |
| Advertising/public relations |
1% |
| Other responses |
11% |
IAAP members are employed in many different types of businesses/industries and government. In the 2005 survey, 36% were employed in either healthcare, education, or manufacturing businesses.
Number of total employees in parent company
| 25 or less |
8% |
| 26-100 |
8% |
| 101-500 |
17% |
| 501-999 |
9% |
| 1,000-4,999 |
22% |
| 5,000-9,999 |
12% |
| 10,000 or more |
24% | 58% of IAAP members surveyed work for companies with 1,000 or more total employees. |