Administrative Jobs & Receptionist Jobs Outlook

Administrative and Receptionist Jobs: Average growth in overall employment of secretaries and administrative assistants is attributed to automation and organizational restructuring. Average growth is projected for legal and medical secretaries.

Education: A high school diploma is the general requirement, but basic office skills and knowledge of software applications, such as word processing, spreadsheets and database management, are also necessary.

Scope: Secretaries and administrative assistants held about 4.1 million jobs in 2004, ranking among the largest occupations in the U.S. economy. Secretaries and administrative assistants generally work in schools, hospitals, corporate settings, government agencies or legal and medical offices.

Secretary and administrative jobs, despite being the largest workforce in the U.S. economy, are growing slower than average. Best bets include software knowledge and experience in medical and legal secretary jobs. Receptionists, however, are growing modestly, with ideal receptionist jobs in service industries like healthcare, manufacturing, government and real estate.

• Administrative and Receptionist Jobs Outlook