Administrative and customer support salary benchmarks and trends

Name: Data at a glance
Creator: Robert Half

2027 Salary Guide

Get customized salary insights

sg27-web-hero-DONOTSHARE-0826-us-en-3072x1229

Job seekers: Explore opportunities and grow your career.

This is not the final Salary Guide. Do not share this preview before September 10 to avoid distributing information that may change before launch. This draft version is intended for internal review and training purposes only.

Administrative and customer support compensation is evolving as responsibilities for these roles expand. Employers need professionals who can keep operations organized, adapt to new technology, and communicate effectively with customers, internal teams and leadership. Pay should reflect the skills and judgment required to do that work well.

Titles, responsibilities, software expertise, communication demands and customer-facing expectations can all affect compensation in this field. Employers who align pay with the full scope of the role—and balance experience against training time—will be better positioned to compete for top talent.

Hiring managers: Meet with us to get customized salary insights and guidance so you can build offers candidates say yes to.

Salary Calculator

View salaries by job category

The salaries below default to national averages. Select a job category and city to find figures for a specific market. Starting compensation can vary significantly based on a candidate’s skills, experience and certifications, as well as other factors including industry; company size, complexity or revenue; and demand for the role. To reflect this variability, we report our compensation data in 3 levels: low, mid and high.

Administration

Customer Support

Nonprofit

Office Services

Job Title

Low

Mid

High

Senior Executive Assistant

82500

98750

115000

Executive Assistant

66500

73000

88500

Project Manager

69250

83250

98250

Office Manager

56000

62000

69500

Senior Administrative Assistant

48750

55000

64000

Administrative Assistant

46000

52000

58000

Entry-Level Administrative Assistant

38500

42000

45000

Project Coordinator

47000

54000

65000

Legal Administrative Assistant

42750

49250

55250

Marketing Assistant

41500

46500

52250

Property Management Assistant

40500

45500

51500

Sales Assistant

44000

46500

49250

Front Desk Coordinator

38250

42000

46250

Receptionist

38000

41500

46000

Low

The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is still developing core skills.

Mid

The candidate has moderate experience in the role or one similar, meets most requirements, and may hold transferable skills or relevant certifications.

High

The candidate has extensive experience in the role, demonstrates advanced skills, and often brings specialized certifications or industry experience.

Administrative and customer support compensation trends

Data at a glance

55%

of administrative and customer support leaders are making more competitive offers, especially for business-critical roles with limited talent pools.

35%

are offering salaries above their planned range, citing the need to secure candidates with specialized skills as a top reason.

60%

are offering higher pay for relevant AI skills, with nearly one-third (31%) offering more for AI-related expertise than for other tech skills.

Specialized skills

Administrative Roles

Organizations are paying more for high-impact skills tied to critical initiatives and to compete for in-demand talent.

AI literacy

Data analysis

Project management tools

Workflow automation

Customer Support

Organizations are paying more for high-impact skills tied to critical initiatives and to compete for in-demand talent.

Advanced Excel

Data analysis

Multilingualism

Salesforce

Ticketing systems (e.g., Zendesk, ServiceNow, Freshdesk)

Nonprofit

Organizations are paying more for high-impact skills tied to critical initiatives and to compete for in-demand talent.

Data analysis

Grant writing

Program evaluation

Raiser’s Edge NXT

General Office

Organizations are paying more for high-impact skills tied to critical initiatives and to compete for in-demand talent.

Database management

Procurement

Process optimization experience

Rewards that prompt career moves

Administrative and customer support professionals often compare opportunities based on how well the full compensation package supports their daily work experience, financial objectives and career goals, particularly when base pay is similar across roles. Top benefits and perks that influence a job change:

Financial incentives

Bonuses, profit-sharing programs, stock options

Work‑life balance and flexibility

Paid time off, hybrid or remote work options, flexible hours

Explore more total rewards insights

Roles, industries, certifications on the rise

Roles requiring specialized skills in areas such as technology, communication, customer interaction and operational judgment are expected to have salary growth above the projected +1.9% average for administrative and customer support positions.

+3.9% Executive Assistant

+3.8% Senior Administrative Assistant

+3.1% Senior Customer Service Representative

+2.5% Office Manager

Employers in these industries need skilled professionals to advance customer experience, operational coordination, complex scheduling and high-volume service needs.

Professional services

Healthcare

Financial services

Real estate

Manufacturing

Certifications can justify higher pay when they validate the ability to manage high-volume inquiries, use data to improve response strategies, and enhance team proficiency in productivity tools, scheduling systems and workflow coordination.

Certified Administrative Professional (CAP)

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

Certified Customer Service Professional (CCSP)

Google Workspace Certification

Project Management Professional (PMP)

Smarter hiring. Better jobs. Personalized guidance.

Get salary insights you can act on

Build a more competitive talent strategy with a personalized consultation from Robert Half. Get customized salary insights

Need to hire?

Connect with in-demand professionals fast to expand your core team or staff a critical project. Hire talent

Looking for a new role?

We can help you find a position that aligns with your goals, skills and lifestyle. Find a job

Questions? Contact us at 1.877.563.0648

More to explore

2027 Administrative and customer support salary trends: The skills and roles driving growth Explore the latest administrative and customer service salary trends for 2027. Learn which roles, skills and certifications boost earning potential and how employers and professionals can stay competitive.

2026 Administrative and Customer Support Hiring and Job Market Outlook Get insights into the state of the administrative and customer support job market in 2026, including which roles and skills are most in demand.

Pay and Compensation Highlights Dive deeper into salary and total rewards trends across a range of professional roles and industries.

AI Adoption and Workforce Impact: Navigating the AI Era in 2026 AI adoption in the workplace is accelerating, and organizations are preparing for a future in which business processes and talent strategy must adapt. Learn what your organization needs to navigate the AI era.

Cost of a Bad Hire in 2026 While the financial hit from a bad hire can drain your budget, the damage to business momentum and trust can be even more costly and harder to restore. Learn more about the true cost of a bad hire.

Small business recruitment trends Get up to speed on small business staffing trends, and find out what it takes to attract and hire top talent.

Salaries and trends by profession

Get 2027 starting salaries and salary insights in our other professional fields.

Finance and accounting

Technology

Marketing and creative

Legal

Non-clinical healthcare

Human resources

The salary benchmarks in the Salary Guide From Robert Half are the result of a rigorous, multistep process designed to reflect projected market trends for 2027. They are based on actual compensation for professionals Robert Half has matched with employers across the country and third-party job posting data from Textkernel that we use to independently validate the salary levels. Learn more about our methodology.

Non-salary data is based on online surveys developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm. Respondents include hiring managers and workers at small (10-99 employees), midsize (100-999 employees) and large (1,000-plus employees) private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across the United States.