What is an office worker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
introduction image

Every office, business, or industry hires highly qualified expert staff who spend hours and days making policies and strategies. But what if none of the data they produce is preserved for references and later analysis? Of course, their efforts will go in vain. To avoid that situation, all organizations, whether big or small, have office workers. They are the administrative staff responsible for holding all official records intact.

Being an office worker is all about documentation, filling, and organizing data in a manageable manner. For which you require at least a high school graduation certificate. As an office worker, you will be asked to do documentation, filling, organize data, and data entry tasks. Therefore, you also need to learn the necessary computer and editing skills.

You can start serving as an office worker with a salary of $18.25 per hour. But chances of progress in this field are great so that you can earn much more than that based on your expertise and skills.

ScoreOffice WorkerUS Average
Salary
3.2

Avg. Salary $41,003

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
6.6

Growth Rate -5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.03%

Asian 7.83%

Black or African American 10.08%

Hispanic or Latino 16.29%

Unknown 4.59%

White 60.17%

Gender

female 71.83%

male 28.17%

Age - 50
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 50
Stress Level
6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
4.3

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
7.1

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for Office Worker in Columbus, OH

Receive alerts for the newest job postings.

Office Worker career paths

Key steps to become an office worker

  1. Explore office worker education requirements

    Most common office worker degrees

    Bachelor's

    47.7 %

    High School Diploma

    22.1 %

    Associate

    18.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific office worker skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Data Entry27.74%
    Administrative Tasks21.97%
    PowerPoint18.17%
    Payroll15.92%
    Customer Service3.96%
  3. Complete relevant office worker training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New office workers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an office worker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real office worker resumes.
  4. Gain additional office worker certifications

    Office worker certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific office worker certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for office workers include Word 2010 Certification and Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research office worker duties and responsibilities

    • Manage daily office operations maintaining accurate records for payroll and other checks.
    • Train in installing windows, showers and glass into homes and commercial businesses.
    • Used QuickBooks to accurately compute and produce invoices to be mail to various customer companies.
    • Serve as office secretary, organizing files, answering phones, delivering payroll and deposits, organize incoming mail and invoices.
  6. Prepare your office worker resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your office worker resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an office worker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Office Worker Resume templates

    Build a professional Office Worker resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Office Worker resume.
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
    Office Worker Resume
  7. Apply for office worker jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an office worker job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Office Worker Job

Zippi

Are you an Office Worker?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average office worker salary

The average Office Worker salary in the United States is $41,003 per year or $20 per hour. Office worker salaries range between $23,000 and $71,000 per year.

Average Office Worker Salary
$41,003 Yearly
$19.71 hourly

What Am I Worth?

Loading...
Loading...
salary-calculator

How do office workers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Office Worker reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

everything except phones : Meeting,greeting, customer service, interviewing, on boarding, recruiting, presenting, etc.

Cons

phones - because of my accent


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

The interaction with people and running an office

Cons

the pay, the hours and no one I mean one gives you credit for doing a job well done.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Cons

Rude customers who use profanity

Pros

Interacting with the public very friendly helpful in problem solving also I have patience with others


Working as an Office Worker? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse office and administrative jobs