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What Administrative job titles should you use?
I spent about 10 hours analyzing which Administrative job titles work best. In this mini-report (the latest chapter in Ongig’s Job Titles: The Definitive Guide, you’ll find guidance on:
- The Definition of “Administrative” — Best practices on roles and department names.
- Administrative versus Operations — We explain the difference.
- Administrative Job Titles Hierarchy — The standard for Administrative department positions…a mini org chart if you will.
- The 20 Most Searched-For Administrative Titles — A pie chart of the top 20 Administrative positions that candidates search for on Google.
- Administrative Job Titles and Descriptions — A list of the top 10 Administrative job titles and descriptions that employers request.
What are administrative job titles?
What is an administrative position? It can be nebulous but serves critical functions. A few definitions of administrative roles:
“The [Administrative] functions…can be as mundane as ordering paper towels or as critical as budget talks. When outside departments need to forge a relationship with a given department, an administrator is the person who facilitates the meetings.” — How to Organize an Administrative Department by Danielle Smyth.
“An effective administrator is…the link between an organization’s various departments and ensures the smooth flow of information from one part to the other.” — Effective Role Of Administration In An Organization by Pankaj Mishra.
“An office administrator provides structure to other employees throughout the organization. These activities can range from being responsible for the management of human resources, budgets and records, to undertaking the role of supervising other employees.” — Office Administration definition via Wikipedia
Most large companies have an Administration department and it’s usually called Administrative or General & Administrative (G&A) That’s the approach taken at leading companies such as:
- CVS Health
- Casper
- Lyft
However, some companies also have Administrative positions overlapping Operations and other departments.
Administrative versus Operations & Other Departments
Administrative jobs are often interwoven with Operations (most common), Finance, HR and Legal. We perused 40 top career pages to see how top-performing public companies list Administrative jobs versus Operations jobs,.
Let’s have a look at a few:
- At ExxonMobil, Administrative jobs fall under “Technical and Administrative Support” with “Operations” jobs being listed separately.
- Walmart‘s career page lists “Administrative and Support Services” jobs and has a separate career area for “Business Operations”.
- Facebook files its Administrative jobs in the “Legal, Finance, Facilities & Admin” bucket, with “Global Operations” listed as another area of work.
- Fiverr‘s “General & Admin” team is made up of HR, Operations, and Legal jobs, which include Executive Assistants and Admin Team Leads.
- Crowdstrike currently lists an Administrative Assistant opening under the “Administration” job family, but if you read the description, this position “supports multiple VPs and helps with the day-to-day operations of the company.”
You can see that Admin is most often combined with Operations (another nebulous but critical department!). The difference
Administrative is the “what” and Operations is the “how”
Administrative is considered the “what” of an organization. What tasks need to be done? (i.e., Scheduling meetings, answering phones, sending emails, preparing documents, creating presentations, directing visitors, etc.).
Operations is considered the “how” of an organization. How will the organization run effectively? (i.e., Creating processes, Managing Projects, Tracking Product Development, Remaining Legally Compliant, Tracking Efficiency, etc.)
Administrative Job Titles Hierarchy
Here’s a typical org chart of Administrative position titles. 
- Chief Administrative Officer – Chief Administration Officer, Head of Administration, Chief Business Officer
- VP of Administration – Vice President of Finance & Operations, Chief of Staff
- Director of Administration – Administrative Services Director, Administrative Director
- Administrative Manager – Administrative Services Manager, Business Support Manager
- Individual Contributors – Administrative Coordinator, Administrative Specialist, Administrative Analyst, Virtual Assistant, Executive Assistant, Administrative Business Partner, Executive Business Partner, Typist, Data Entry Clerk, Office Manager
- Entry Level – Entry-Level Administrative Assistant, Administrative Intern, Administrative Trainee, Junior Administrative Assistant
Here’s a little more texture on each of the 6 levels of Admin roles:
Job Titles for Administrative Leaders
Administrative usually reports into the Administrative or Operations team run by the Chief Administrative Officer or Chief Operations Officer.
Examples of job titles for Administrative leaders include:
- Chief Administrative Officer CAO) (Yelp and Bank of America uses)
- Head of Administration
- Chief Administration Officer
- Chief of Staff (Jumpstart uses)
- Chief Legal & Administrative Officer (Collective Health)
- Chief Business Officer
VP of Administrative Titles
Examples of Administrative Vice President titles commonly used include:
- VP of Administration
- Vice President Administration (The Melt uses)
- VP Administration
Director of Administrative Titles
Here are some of the top most used Administrative director titles:
- Administrative Director
- Director of Administrative Services
- Lead Administrative Coordinator
- Senior Director of Administrative Services
- Administrative Services Lead
- Sr. Director of Administrative Services
Administrative Manager Job Titles
Examples of Administrative manager titles include:
- Administrative Services Manager
- Business Support Manager (Bank of America uses)
- Administrative Manager
- Administrative Support Manager
- Front Desk Supervisor
- Administrative Support Supervisor
Individual Contributor Administrative Titles
When you get to the individual contributor level of Administrative positions, there is more granularity.
- Administrative Coordinator
- Front Desk Agent
- Administrative Support Specialist
- Secretary
- Administrative Analyst
- Administrative Assistant
- Admin Specialist (Facebook uses)
- Administrative Business Partner (used by Goole and Stripe)
- Master Scheduler
- Executive Business Partner (used by Airbnb, Google, YouTube, and Lyft)
- Office Manager
- Front Desk Administrative Assistant (Uber uses)
- Solutions Coordinator (Cardinal Health uses)
- Professional Typist
- Documentation Specialist
- Virtual Assistant
- Executive Assistant
- Receptionist
- Personal Assistant
Entry-Level Administrative Job Titles
Examples of entry-level Administrative titles include:
- Junior Administrative Assistant
- Administrative Intern
- Administrative Aide
- File Clerk
- Administrative Trainee
- Entry-level Administrative Assistant
- Junior Administrative Assistant
- Data Entry Clerk
- Administrative Assistant I (AmerisourceBergen uses)
Top Administrative Job Titles (Candidates)
Below is a list of the top 20 Administrative job titles based on Google queries we found on ahrefs.
“Virtual Assistant” is #1 and if you’re looking to hire an Assistant, unless it’s a must-have to have them in your office, you’ll get a lot more interest in the job if you use the title “Virtual Assistant”.
Top 10 Administrative Job Titles and Descriptions (Employers)
Below are the top 10 Administrative position titles employers request job descriptions for on Google, according to ahrefs.
I’ve included a brief description for each as well as the # of job title searches per month.
Administrative Assistant
An Administrative Assistant works with an executive or team of executives to carry out the day to day tasks within an organization. An Administrative Assistant may answer phones or greet guests, as a Secretary would, but also performs more complex tasks like creating meeting agendas and managing multiple calendars. Other tasks of an Administrative Assistant include:
- Keeping an inventory of equipment and office supplies
- Coordinating reporting procedures across organizational teams
- Providing project support
- Monitoring department expenses and accounts
# of job title searches per month: 14,000; Office Assistant: 3,900; Assistant:450
Note: Check out other titles for administrative assistant below in the “Creative Job Titles for Administrative Assistant” section towards the bottom of this article.
Office Manager
An Office Manager, also known as an Office Administrator, or just Administrator, acts as a liaison between management and employees in and organization. Office managers are responsible for a variety of tasks including monitoring deliveries, organizing workspaces, and providing assistance to executives where needed. Depending on the size of the organization, an Office Manager may also assist with the hiring process by scheduling interviews, or with financial tasks like managing invoices.
# of job title searches per month: 10,000; Office Administrator: 3,600; Administrator: 800
Executive Assistant
An Executive Assistant is highly qualified and usually has years of experience in the Administrative field. An Executive Assistant provides high-level support to management in a company. Common tasks of an Executive Assistant include:
- Scheduling important meetings
- Assisting with marketing research
- Managing client or partner relationships
- Supervise or train clerical staff
- Setting daily schedules for executives
# of job title searches per month: 6,600; Executive Administrative Assistant: 600
Receptionist
A Receptionist, also commonly called a Secretary or Front Desk Agent is the first point of contact for clients and employees when entering an office environment. A Receptionist is usually seated at the front desk or lobby entrance and helps greet and direct visitors when they arrive. A Receptionist also answers the main phone line for a company and transfers calls accordingly. Other tasks of a Receptionist include receiving mail or shipments, scheduling appointments for clients, cleaning reception areas, and assisting with other administrative tasks as needed.
# of job title searches per month: 6,200;Secretary: 2,000; Front Desk Agent: 500
Personal Assistant
A Personal Assistant, similar to an Executive Assistant, helps manage daily schedules and other administrative tasks. A Personal Assistant works side-by-side with one senior-level executive to ensure their calendar is up to date and their organizational goals are met. A Personal Assistant may also be responsible for assisting with personal tasks like scheduling doctor’s appointments, or handling other family-related matters on top of coordinating administrative tasks for the organization.
# of job title searches per month: 2,800
Chief of Staff
A Chief of Staff, a title heard frequently in politics, is also a somewhat new title for a top administrative position within businesses. A Chief of Staff serves as a liaison between clients, staff, and executives. Some duties of the Chief of Staff include:
- Helping a CEO Organize their time
- Attending meetings on behalf of their boss
- Communicating with major stakeholders
- Writing draft proposals for the CEO
- Leading organizational culture and community efforts
# of job title searches per month: 2,000; Administrative Coordinator: 600
Program Coordinator
A Program Coordinator is an administrative professional tasked with helping manage various programs within an organization. A Program Coordinator helps manage program-related budgets, keeps team members up-to-date, creates meeting agendas, and schedules meetings. Other tasks of a Program Coordinator include supporting program growth, creating presentations, and sharing program summaries across an organization.
# of job title searches per month: 1,500
File Clerk
A File Clerk is a front-office position that is responsible for file management for a business. Common duties of a File Clerk, also known as a Data Entry Clerk, are:
- Receiving and sorting mail
- Archiving old files
- Making photocopies
- Entering data into electronic files
- Coding materials to be filed
- Tracking records being removed from files
# of job title searches per month: 1,200; Data Entry Clerk: 800
Virtual Assistant
A Virtual Assistant provides a variety of services to businesses or business leaders from a remote location. A Virtual Assistant performs many of the tasks performed by an Executive Assistant, but may also act as a Personal Assistant and perform personal errands. Common tasks of a Virtual Assistant include:
- Administrative Work (emails, scheduling, booking travel)
- Personal Tasks (scheduling personal appointments, making personal purchases, booking personal travel)
- Create Content (researching and creating blogs or business-related content)
- Manage Finances (Monitoring budget and expenses)
- Customer Service (Answering and directing calls)
# of job title searches per month: 500
Contract Administrator
A Contract Administrator is responsible for developing and reviewing contracts on behalf of an organization. A Contract Administrator ensures all parties follows the terms of each contract and also may be tasked with analyzing contracts to make sure they comply with regulations, developing contract proposal to support organizational goals, and writing contract letters or notices.
# of job title searches per month: 450
Creative Job Titles for Administrative Assistant
We found these other funny/creative Administrative job titles :
- Captain of Multitasking (Assistant)
- Chief Image Officer (Assistant in charge of making their Exec’s image look great)
- Executive Sherpa (Assistant)
- Indentured Rockstar (Assistant)
- Lead Enabler (Assistant)
- Manager of Codependence (Assistant)
- Manager of Office Operations (Administrative Assistant)
- Scheduling Wizard (Administrative Assistant)
- Workflow Guru (Administrative Assistant)
There’s more examples of funny admin titles (including for Office Manager) here: 100+ Creative & Funny Job Titles [by Department & Position]
Thank you, Administrative Title Experts!
In addition to the sources cited above, special thanks to these experts on administrative titles:
- Career Quest for their article on What’s the Difference Between a Secretary and an Administrative Assistant?
- Welcome to the Jungle’s article on Oh My Job – Office Manager
- Study.com for their article on What Does and Executive Assistant Do?
- Bonnie Marcus for her article on Are You Ready To Become Chief Of Staff?
- Learn.org for their article on What is a File Clerk?
- Time Doctor for their article on Virtual Assistants: What They Do & How to Hire
Why I wrote this?
My Ongig team and I share this research on Administrative job titles to help you optimize your own titles. This supports our mission to transform job descriptions. Check out Ongig.com to learn more.
