Specialties in Demand
”As the job market recovers, competition for highly qualified candidates will increase and, as a result, these individuals will command higher starting salaries,” said Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam.

According to OfficeTeam research, senior executive assistants will see the greatest increase in starting salaries of any single administrative job classification in 2007, with base compensation expected to rise to the range of $39,000 to $56,000 annually. Senior executive assistants in large firms will likely draw higher starting salaries. Average starting salaries for executive assistants are expected to earn between $39,250 and $50,000.

Industry Trends
Healthcare, accounting/finance and real estate are among the industries that report consistent demand for administrative staff, according to OfficeTeam research.

“Increasingly, hiring managers expect support professionals to bring specialized skills and certifications to new positions”, said Domeyer. “Administrative skills are not transferable to every environment, and complex roles often require highly targeted knowledge.”

For example, employers may be willing to pay up to 10 percent more for Microsoft Office Specialist Certification. Expert bilingual abilities can increase an applicant’s base compensation up to 8 percent.

Starting salary information in the OfficeTeam 2007 Salary Guide is based on the thousands of job orders handled each year by OfficeTeam staffing managers. Continuing or ongoing salaries are not reported since too many factors — such as seniority, work ethic, performance and training — impact a full-time employee’s compensation as a work history develops.

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