Online degrees in office administration

Training in office administration is most commonly found at the associate degree level, but bachelor's and master's degree programs in business or management may be required for office administrators working in large offices or in specialized fields such as law or health care. Brief certificate programs offering computer skills, training in personnel management or basic business functions are also available.

Career training for office administrators can be broken down into three levels:

1. Basic: Entry-level jobs for secretaries and administrative assistants often require workers have computer training, including knowledge of basic office software such as spreadsheets and word processing. On-the-job training or certificate programs are generally sufficient for these roles.
2. Intermediate: As associate degree in office administration includes training in office procedures and technical skills as well as an introduction to business topics such as law, accounting and records management.
3. Advanced: Work experience and a bachelor's degree is often required for most high-level administrative positions. Large medical offices, which must comply with a wide range of regulations surrounding billing and patient privacy, are likely to look for administrators with a bachelor's degree. Database management and document processing are important higher-level skills for these professionals, who may hold the title of office manager. At the top of the field, master's degree training may be required.

One reason why office administrators are so valued is their specialized knowledge of office technology. Increasingly, businesses both small and large are turning to specialized software programs to track employee benefits and payroll, manage appointments or financial accounts, and track and store data. Office administrators must be familiar with this technology as they often purchase, install and use such programs on a daily basis.

Online office administration degrees provide an excellent way for students to familiarize themselves with computer programs and Web-based training technology, a skill often appreciated by hiring managers.

Beyond possessing a high degree of technical knowledge, office managers should be organized, attentive to detail and decision-oriented. Advancement in the field can mean taking charge of an office's entire set of administrative roles, which means that natural leaders particularly thrive in the position.

Take a look at some of the most common career paths and industries for office administrators, with mean annual wages from 2010 as provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):

1. Secretaries and administrative assistants: elementary and secondary schools ($32,790); local government ($35,090); colleges, universities, and professional schools ($34,140)
2. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers: depository credit intermediation ($48,100), offices of physicians ($49,690), local government ($52,260)
3. Administrative services managers: local government ($80,560); colleges, universities, and professional schools ($81,160); management of companies and enterprises ($100,790)

Overall, administrative assistants are expected to see average job growth, the BLS reports, but faster than average growth is expected for medical secretaries and legal secretaries, who often need specialized training. According to the BLS, computer skills and work experience should open up employment opportunities and individuals with a bachelor's degree may have the opportunity to move into managerial roles.

• Common industries: Government; colleges, universities, and professional schools; general medical and surgical hospitals; management of companies and enterprises
• Salary range: $32,000 - $84,390
• Typical software requirements: Word processing, data management, spreadsheet, desktop publishing, conferencing
• Preferred skills: Leadership, communication, attention to detail, flexible, decision-oriented

(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010 data)