An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Bureau of Labor Statistics > Occupational Requirements Survey > Publications > Factsheets

Office and administrative support occupations

This occupational group includes communications equipment and computer operators, bill collectors, gaming cage workers, tellers, information and record clerks, customer service representatives, eligibility interviewers, secretaries and administrative assistants, couriers, dispatchers, data entry and information processing workers, and desktop publishers.

Cognitive and mental requirements

The qualifications that workers need to use judgment, make decisions, interact with others, and adapt to changes in jobs.

In 2024, work was controlled by people for 86.3 percent of office and administrative support workers, and work was self-paced for 11.5 percent.

Table 1. Percentage of office and administrative support workers with cognitive and mental requirements, 2024
Requirement	Yes	No
Adaptability: Work schedule variability	24.8	75.2
Pace: Pause control	65.4	34.6
Working around crowds	<0.5	>99.5
Telework	22.0	78.0
Work review: Supervising others	8.7	91.3
Work review: Presence of supervisor	71.2	28.8
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey

Education, training, and experience requirements

The minimum level of formal education required, credentials necessary, on-the-job training, and prior work experience necessary for average performance in jobs.

In 2024, credentials were required for 8.8 percent of office and administrative support workers. Prior work experience was required for 56.6 percent and on-the-job training was required for 91.7 percent.

A high school diploma was required for 77.0 percent of office and administrative support workers.

Environmental conditions

The various tangible or concrete hazards or difficulties that are in the vicinity of where jobs’ critical tasks are performed.

In 2024, a quiet noise exposure was present for 25.4 percent of office and administrative support workers. Another 74.2 percent were exposed to moderate noise, less than 0.5 percent were exposed to loud noise, and less than 0.5 percent to very loud noise. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was used by less than 0.5 percent of workers to mitigate noise exposure, and was not used by greater than 99.5 percent.

Physical demands

Refer to the physical activities required to perform tasks in jobs. The presence and, in some cases, duration of these activities are published.

In 2024, reaching at or below the shoulder was required for 42.7 percent of office and administrative support workers and was not required for 57.3 percent. For 13.8 percent of workers, reaching at or below the shoulder was seldom performed, for 26.7 percent reaching at or below the shoulder occurred occasionally, 2.3 percent frequently, and for less than 0.5 percent reaching at or below the shoulder occurred constantly.

Performing work in low postures was required for 19.5 percent of office and administrative support workers and was not required for 80.5 percent.

The choice to sit or stand when performing critical tasks was available to 77.7 percent of office and administrative support workers. On average, workers spent 82.7 percent of the workday sitting and 17.3 percent of the workday standing.

Table 2. Percentage of office and administrative support workers with physical demands, 2024
Requirement	Yes	No
Choice of sitting or standing	77.7	22.3
Driving	7.6	92.4
Climbing structure-related ramps or stairs	6.6	93.4
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey