Key takeaways
- BLS counted 1,558,400 first-line office and administrative support supervisors in 2024 and projects 1,554,400 in 2034.
- The projected change is a decline of 3,900 jobs, or 0.3 percent, but replacement needs still produce 144,500 openings per year.
- The 2024 median annual wage was $66,140. Every wage should retain its reference year.
- BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical entry education and less than five years of related experience.
- The estimate covers employee jobs and is not a rate card for freelance operations managers or virtual assistant team leads.
Table of contents
What first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers statistics show in 2026
The newest complete federal releases available in 2026 describe different reference periods. BLS projections begin with 2024 employment, while the latest OEWS release reports May 2025 results. Keeping those dates visible prevents a recent publication date from being mistaken for a 2026 measurement.
For SOC 43-1011, BLS reports 1,558,400 jobs in 2024 and projects 1,554,400 in 2034. That is a decline of 3,900 jobs, or 0.3 percent. The occupation is nearly flat over the decade, not disappearing.
The same table projects 144,500 openings per year. Openings include replacement demand, so employers may still recruit frequently even when total employment changes little.
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employment, 2024 | 1,558,400 | BLS projections |
| Projected employment, 2034 | 1,554,400 | BLS projections |
| Projected numeric change | -3,900 | BLS projections |
| Projected percent change | -0.3% | BLS projections |
| Average annual openings | 144,500 | BLS projections |
| Median annual wage, 2024 | $66,140 | BLS projections |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | BLS projections |
| Typical related experience | Less than 5 years | BLS projections |
| Self-employed share, 2024 | 0.7% | BLS projections |
Pay, openings, and the difference between stock and flow
The BLS 2024 median annual wage is $66,140. A median splits the occupation in half and does not describe every market, industry, or seniority level.
The 144,500 annual openings figure is a flow measure. It should not be added to projected employment growth. A team can have many openings because people change occupations or leave the labor force while the national job count remains stable.
The May 2025 Philadelphia release gives one local example: a $36.02 mean hourly wage. That is a regional mean, not the national median.
What SOC 43-1011 includes
The federal SOC definition covers workers who directly supervise and coordinate clerical and administrative support staff. O*NET adds scheduling, problem resolution, training, record review, and performance evaluation.
That scope is broader than a senior assistant title. A hiring brief should state the number and types of workers supervised, decisions owned, and systems used for queue, quality, schedule, or service management.
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical entry education and less than five years of related experience. These are national descriptors, not mandatory requirements for every vacancy.
Hiring and onboarding implications for office support supervisors
Replacement demand makes repeatable supervisor onboarding useful even in a flat occupation. Before day one, define team coverage, approval limits, service standards, escalation routes, and access to the records the supervisor must review.
A practical first-week plan includes staff introductions, queue and schedule ownership, examples of acceptable work, exception handling, and a manager check on delegated authority.
For remote teams, document communication windows and access controls explicitly. General telework statistics do not establish whether a specific supervisor role can be remote.
Limits of these office supervisor statistics
OEWS estimates cover wage and salary workers and exclude the self-employed. The numbers do not establish freelance operations-manager or virtual-assistant team-lead rates.
National medians hide location, industry, span of control, shift, and system differences. Pair the federal baseline with a defined role and current local evidence.
Projection values are estimates, not hiring guarantees. They are useful for understanding scale, direction, and replacement demand.
Sources and methodology
We matched the title to SOC 43-1011 and checked the BLS projection table, latest May 2025 OEWS release, federal SOC definition, and current O*NET profile. Employment, outlook, openings, education, experience, and median-pay figures come from the 2024 to 2034 BLS table. OEWS and regional pages verify wage-survey context without blending unlike reference periods. O*NET, SOC, CareerOneStop, and ORS support role-scope and onboarding interpretation. Self-employed and contractor rates are outside the OEWS employee-wage measure.
- BLS Occupational projections and worker characteristicsAugust 28, 2025. SOC 43-1011 employment, openings, education, experience, self-employment, and 2024 median wage.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025 releaseMay 15, 2026. Latest national OEWS release and survey scope.
- BLS May 2025 national occupation tableMay 15, 2026. National estimates by detailed occupation.
- BLS May 2025 occupation profilesMay 2026. Current detailed occupation-profile index.
- O*NET First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support WorkersUpdated 2026. Tasks, skills, work activities, and technology for SOC 43-1011.
- BLS 2018 SOC definition 43-10112018 SOC. Federal occupation definition and boundary.
- CareerOneStop office supervisor profileAccessed August 3, 2026. Department of Labor sponsored career and local-market profile.
- BLS Office and Administrative Support Occupations overviewAugust 28, 2025. Broader occupational-group context.
- BLS Occupational Requirements Survey civilian workers2025 data. Federal job-requirement and telework measures.
- BLS Philadelphia occupational employment and wages, May 2025July 2026. Official regional example reporting a $36.02 mean hourly wage for SOC 43-1011.
Source count: 10. Last verification date: August 3, 2026.
Related research
FAQ
How many first-line office and administrative support supervisors are employed?
BLS reports 1,558,400 jobs in 2024 for SOC 43-1011.
What is the median salary for SOC 43-1011?
The 2024 national median annual wage is $66,140. It is not a contractor rate.
Is employment expected to grow?
BLS projects a 0.3 percent decline from 2024 to 2034, from 1,558,400 to 1,554,400 jobs.
Why are there 144,500 openings per year if employment is flat?
Openings include replacement needs when workers transfer or leave the labor force. They are not net growth.
What preparation does BLS list?
A high school diploma or equivalent and less than five years of related work experience are typical.
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