KC Hall

Kansas City, Kan. – Wednesday is Administrative Professionals Day® and administrative assistants and secretaries across the country are being delivered cards, flowers and treated to lunch in appreciation for the services they provide. In addition to the gestures bestowed on this increasingly valuable group of employees, many have also enjoyed increasing salaries over the past year. The Compdata Surveys 2012 BenchmarkPro survey results found executive assistants earn an average base salary of $54,500, up 5.6 percent from 2011.

Office managers salaries increased from $44,800 in 2011 to $47,000 in 2012, representing a 4.9 percent increase. Secretaries saw a bump in pay of 3.8 percent in 2012, to $32,400. Senior administrative assistant salaries have increased by 3.2 percent over the last year, and salaries for clerks went from $26,600 in 2011 to $27,200 in 2012.

Salaries differ somewhat by industry, as receptionists in services earn the most at $32,100. Receptionists in utilities average $31,000 each year, compared to those in manufacturing and distribution at $29,200. Not-for-profits pay their receptionists an average of $26,200 and healthcare reports the lowest average base rate for receptionists, $24,700.

“The role of administrative professionals continues to evolve as business needs and technology changes,” said Amy Kaminski, vice president for Compdata Surveys. “Today, administrative professionals must act as a company liaison, be able to prepare presentations on a dime and arrange travel, in addition to many other responsibilities. In fact, some administrative professional roles now require advanced degrees or specialized training to move into those roles.”

About the Survey
BenchmarkPro 2012 provides a comprehensive summary of pay data and pay practices with an effective date of March 1, 2012. More than 400 benchmark titles were surveyed, with data collected from nearly 34,000 organizations across the country.

Compdata Surveys has been providing comprehensive data at affordable prices to organizations from coast to coast since 1988 and is the nation’s leading compensation and benefits survey data provider. Thousands of organizations provide data in each of our eight industry specific surveys each year, ensuring the reliability of our results. For more information about the compensation and benefits surveys, contact Michelle Willis at (800) 300-9570.

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