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First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of clerical and administrative support workers.

Watch this work See majors and colleges
Other titles employers use

Accounting Manager · Accounts Payable Supervisor · Accounts Receivable Manager · Administrative Supervisor · Customer Service Manager · Customer Service Supervisor · Office Coordinator · Office Manager

Inside the work

What you would actually do.

6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.

  • Supervise the work of office, administrative, or customer service employees to ensure adherence to quality standards, deadlines, and proper procedures, correcting errors or problems.
  • Resolve customer complaints or answer customers' questions regarding policies and procedures.
  • Provide employees with guidance in handling difficult or complex problems or in resolving escalated complaints or disputes.
  • Review records or reports pertaining to activities such as production, payroll, or shipping to verify details, monitor work activities, or evaluate performance.
  • Discuss job performance problems with employees to identify causes and issues and to work on resolving problems.
  • Prepare and issue work schedules, deadlines, and duty assignments for office or administrative staff.

Who it suits

Would this work hold your attention?

This career often appeals to people drawn to persuading, organizing and helping work.

Persuading
Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
Organizing
Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate

Skills and strengths

What you would get good at.

Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.

Core skills

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Monitoring
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Coordination

Subjects to know

  • Administration and Management
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • English Language
  • Administrative
  • Computers and Electronics

Useful strengths

  • Oral Comprehension
  • Written Comprehension
  • Oral Expression
  • Written Expression
  • Speech Recognition

Working day

Picture yourself doing it.

These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.

How this job scores on four measures of working conditions, out of five
MeasureOut of 5What that means here
Close to other people2.9 Largely your own space
On your feet2.1 Mostly seated
Talking face to face4.9 Continuous — the job is conversations
Working with your hands2.4 Little of the day

Preparation

How people prepare for this work.

Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.

  • A four-year degree 45%
  • High school or less 23%
  • A certificate or some college 21%
  • A two-year degree 10%

Tools of the work

Technology you may use.

  • Data base user interface and query software
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • Project management software
  • Medical software
  • Document management software
  • Operating system software
  • Word processing software
  • Accounting software

Opportunity near you

See where this work is growing.

Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.

Selected stateTexas
People doing this work
190,990
Job openings each year
18,870
Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
6.9%
Compare every available state
State People doing it Job openings each year Expected change
Texas 190,990 18,870 6.9%
California 163,300 15,530 —
Florida 102,730 9,960 2.9%
New York 97,380 710 7.8%
Pennsylvania 65,780 6,100 −5.0%
Tennessee 52,490 5,180 6.7%
New Jersey 44,820 4,170 −4.6%
Ohio 44,540 4,100 −6.0%
Georgia 43,890 4,240 2.1%
Illinois 43,870 4,040 −6.2%
North Carolina 43,810 4,200 —
Virginia 39,320 3,670 −3.9%
Washington 33,930 3,730 10.5%
Arizona 33,550 3,300 6.1%
Maryland 32,880 3,090 −2.6%
Colorado 29,660 2,860 1.8%
South Carolina 28,740 2,790 3.2%
Connecticut 27,950 2,660 —
Michigan 27,930 2,560 −7.1%
Wisconsin 24,850 2,340 −2.3%
Minnesota 23,580 2,200 −4.3%
Indiana 23,510 2,190 −4.5%
Missouri 22,800 2,140 −2.9%
Louisiana 20,400 1,890 −5.0%
Oklahoma 20,400 1,910 −3.2%
Alabama 19,670 1,860 −2.0%
Utah 19,620 1,960 8.8%
Kentucky 19,360 1,820 −2.3%
Puerto Rico 17,630 1,700 2.1%
Nevada 16,290 1,600 5.8%
Oregon 14,830 1,420 —
Massachusetts 14,150 1,320 −4.3%
Arkansas 13,190 1,250 −1.8%
Kansas 12,500 1,150 −5.9%
Mississippi 11,760 1,110 −1.8%
Iowa 11,170 1,060 −1.8%
Nebraska 10,060 950 −1.8%
Idaho 9,440 930 5.6%
New Mexico 8,620 840 4.0%
New Hampshire 7,490 710 −2.5%
West Virginia 7,230 690 −1.2%
Delaware 6,060 570 −2.4%
Montana 4,500 440 3.0%
Rhode Island 4,500 420 −3.4%
Maine 4,490 410 −8.4%
District of Columbia 3,550 340 −1.4%
Vermont 2,050 190 −4.2%
Alaska 2,010 200 6.9%
South Dakota 1,920 180 —
North Dakota 1,900 180 −3.1%
Wyoming 1,730 170 3.0%
Guam 1,420 140 6.0%
Virgin Islands 570 50 −8.1%

Career to college

Build a path toward this work.

Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.

CareerFirst-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
Most direct field Veterinary Administrative Services Related field Health administration Related field Business and management Related field Business Operations Support and Assistant Services Related field Agricultural Business and Management

Where to study

Colleges with strong activity in these fields.

Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.

NH

Southern New Hampshire University

Degrees each year
6,635
Admit rate
96%
Annual cost after aid
$37,000
Open college UT

Western Governors University

Degrees each year
3,621
Admit rate
Not reported
Annual cost after aid
$13,000
Open college CA

California State University-Fullerton

Degrees each year
2,134
Admit rate
87%
Annual cost after aid
$6,000
Open college CA

San Diego State University

Degrees each year
2,008
Admit rate
34%
Annual cost after aid
$13,000
Open college CA

San Jose State University

Degrees each year
1,657
Admit rate
80%
Annual cost after aid
$12,000
Open college MD

University of Maryland Global Campus

Degrees each year
1,656
Admit rate
Not reported
Annual cost after aid
—
Open college VA

Liberty University

Degrees each year
1,585
Admit rate
99%
Annual cost after aid
$27,000
Open college CA

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Degrees each year
1,554
Admit rate
74%
Annual cost after aid
$11,000
Open college

Compare every college offering veterinary administrative services

Keep exploring

Careers with something in common.

Compare paths that use similar training and strengths.

First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales WorkersFirst-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and RepairersFirst-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling ServicesFirst-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial WorkersAdministrative Services ManagersFirst-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers