First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$69,500

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$55,950 – $85,090

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

1,436,680

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+0.1%

Growing slower than all jobs (0% to under 3.5%)

Openings a year (projected)

127,400

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

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

Main tasks

• 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.
• Recruit, interview, and select employees.
• Interpret and communicate work procedures and company policies to staff.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

High school diploma or equivalent

Work experience in a related job: less than 5 years

O*NET Job Zone 3

Medium preparation

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 13 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

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• First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

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• First-Line Supervisors of Passenger Attendants

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• First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services

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• First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers

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• Administrative Services Managers

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