The best part about being an administrative assistant is that you usually don’t need a college degree to get hired. Most of these jobs just require you to be organized, self-motivated, and have access to the tools you’ll need.
The average salary for any administrative assistant is $38k per year. But when you’re working remotely as a freelancer, your earning potential can increase significantly and there are a lot of jobs out there that are willing to pay more than your average admin gig. In this article, we’ll give you insight into some of the top-paying freelance administrative assistant positions available right now.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Freelance administrative assistant jobs offer excellent earning potential. |
| 2. The demand for freelance administrative assistants is growing in various industries. |
| 3. Developing a diverse skill set can help you secure high-paying freelance jobs. |
| 4. Remote work opportunities provide flexibility and work-life balance. |
| 5. Research and identify companies and industries that offer competitive pay for administrative assistants. |
| 6. Networking and building a strong online presence can lead to lucrative freelance opportunities. |
| 7. Stay updated on industry trends and technologies to remain competitive in the job market. |
| 8. Providing exceptional organizational and communication skills can set you apart from the competition. |
| 9. Consider specializing in niche areas or industries to target higher-paying freelance gigs. |
| 10. Continuously expand your professional network and seek testimonials to enhance your reputation as a freelance administrative assistant. |
1. Virtual Assistant
A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a remote administrative assistant who works from home and provides office support services to a company. This position does not require you to be in the same location as your employer, which means you can work for multiple employers at the same time.
However, if you’re an underemployed VA, you might want to consider finding more clients or switching jobs altogether. If this option interests you, FlexJobs is a great resource to find virtual assistant positions that offer competitive salaries and benefits.
Mastering the essential skills is key to becoming a successful freelance administrative assistant. Check out our guide on The Top 14 Skills You Need to Be a Successful Freelance Administrative Assistant to gain the expertise required for this rewarding career.
2. Data Entry Specialist
Do you like working with numbers? Many businesses use data entry specialists to keep track of financial information, which is why it’s a good idea to consider this as one of the best administrative assistant jobs. As a data entry specialist, you’ll work as an independent contractor and can work from home.
Some companies may require you to come into the office at times for face-to-face meetings or training sessions, but generally speaking, this is one of those remote assistant jobs where you can set your hours and schedule. You don’t need much training for this job either a high school diploma and basic computer skills are usually all that is required!
3. Office Administrator
Office administrators are like the glue that holds an organization together. They’re part of the administrative team and they assist with a wide range of duties. The work can vary from answering phones to placing orders to supervising other employees to creating budgets and monitoring expenses. If you love being busy and helping others, this could be a great job for you. What do office administrators do?.
An office administrator’s duties depend on the size of their company, the number of employees, and other factors. Common tasks include:
- Greeting customers or clients who visit the organization’s offices
- Providing information about an organization’s services or products
- Answering phone calls from customers or clients checking on orders or asking questions about an organization’s services or products
- Preparing correspondence on behalf of management
- Preparing reports for management (including financial reports)
Maintaining motivation is crucial when freelancing as an administrative assistant. Discover 11 effective ways to stay motivated and focused in our article on How to Stay Motivated When You’re Freelancing as an Administrative Assistant. Stay inspired and achieve success!
4. Personal Assistant
So you’ve decided to explore being a freelance personal assistant. You’ll be helping people who can’t manage their schedules, usually high-powered and wealthy people like CEOs, presidents of companies, celebrities, and dignitaries. A personal assistant is responsible for managing the scheduling, transportation, communication, and organization of his or her employer’s life.
Personal assistants make an average of $35 per hour on Upwork. The most common skills required to get a job as a personal assistant are scheduling appointments; making travel arrangements; planning meetings and events; taking minutes at meetings; running errands such as picking up dry cleaning or groceries (often these must be done between business hours); answering phones (often after-hours).
Writing emails/memos/letters for their employers; organizing files/folders during downtime; using basic software such as Microsoft Office Suite products or Google Docs to do this work effectively; meeting deadlines with minimal supervision from the employer. Some assistants may also need to have some understanding of social media if they will be creating posts on behalf of their employers.
5. Freelance Writer
The freelance writing job is one of the best jobs to have. If you have a passion for writing and can write in various styles, you can work as a freelance writer and make money online whenever and wherever you want. With this job, you will be able to write about anything that comes to your mind and earn according to the number of articles written.
If you’re looking to make money online, writing is a great freelance gig with the potential to bring in some serious income. After all, every business needs content! And while most businesses prefer to hire in-house writers or go through a content mill, there is a large amount of work available for independent writers who can deliver great copy on time.
6. Sales Representative
As a sales representative, it’s your job to represent a company in the field. You work with clients to create new business opportunities, educate them on products and services, promote goodwill, and make presentations.
Sales representatives are often the first point of contact between a company and its customers. They’re also responsible for building relationships with current customers to maintain these relationships and keep the business thriving.
When writing your resume as a sales representative, you want to showcase your professional background, skillset, certifications, and education. Because you must be able to communicate effectively as a sales rep (you’ll be dealing with potential customers every day!), you should list communication skills prominently on your resume.
You might also include industry-specific skills like marketing or product knowledge so the hiring manager knows that you’re familiar with their area of business and can hit the ground running if hired.
Transitioning to a freelance administrative assistant role requires careful planning and preparation. Learn valuable tips for a smooth transition in our comprehensive guide on Successfully Transitioning to a Freelance Administrative Assistant Role. Set yourself up for freelance success!
7. Small Business Consultant
As a small business consultant, you’ll work with small businesses to help them grow. This is a great job for someone familiar with the ins and outs of running a business. As a small business consultant, you’ll be responsible for offering advice on marketing, accounting, human resources, and more.
You can start your own small business consulting company, or work as an employee for another company. If you’re starting your own business, you’ll need to have some experience in the field and create a plan for managing your time effectively. If working as an employee, knowledge of business software is helpful but not required.
8. IT Support Specialist
If you’re a problem solver with strong customer service skills and a knack for technology, then this may be the role for you. As an IT support specialist, you’ll provide technical assistance to computer users and organization staff in person, via phone, or online. If working from home is your thing, it’s possible to hang out with your shingle as a freelance IT specialist, too. This job pays on average $21.50 per hour and requires good problem-solving skills plus certification in network administration or data security.
9. Customer Service Representative
Customer service representatives typically work in an office or call center environment, but with the rise of remote jobs, their function can now be performed from home. Customer service representatives interact with customers to process orders, provide information about an organization’s products and services and resolve issues.
The job requires strong communication skills, patience, and technical proficiency because customer service reps frequently make use of computer systems for recording customer information, tracking orders, and troubleshooting issues.
Many organizations hire temporary customer service representatives to manage seasonal workloads or increased demand. This type of short-term position is a good option for someone who wants to try the field before committing to a permanent role.
10. Real Estate Agent
While you might think that real estate agents are only the people that knock on your door, unannounced and uninvited, to show you around a home you have no interest in buying, real estate agents are more than just salespeople. They also have to juggle their administrative duties from generating leads to running the marketing campaigns for their business. If you’re still not convinced that becoming a real estate agent is a good fit for an administrative assistant, here are some more benefits of this job:
- You will be able to make your schedule and work untraditional hours.
- You’ll have the opportunity to earn a great salary and commission if you’re successful at sales.
- If you’re passionate about houses, then this job is perfect because it’s all about homes.
Efficiently managing your workflow is essential as a freelance administrative assistant. Discover practical strategies and tools in our article on How to Manage Your Workflow as a Freelance Administrative Assistant. Optimize your productivity and maximize your potential.
11. Data Scientist
Data scientists compile and interpret data, then use it to inform decisions about the company or organization that employs them. They often build models for different scenarios, which help a company better plan for the future.
Most of the time, data scientists have a master’s degree or Ph.D. in statistics, math, computer science, or another related field; they also need extensive knowledge of database management systems and programming languages like Python and SQL. These professionals can work remotely 30 percent of the time on average. A high-level data scientist’s salary can range from $98K to $166K per year.
12. Accountant Or Bookkeeper
Accountants and bookkeepers are needed in every industry, so there is no shortage of work. You will be expected to have a head for numbers. You will also need to be good with spreadsheets and other accounting software. If you’re working as an accountant, you will probably deal with sensitive financial information, so you should be trustworthy and discreet. You may also need a good knowledge of financial laws and regulations, depending on the type of work you’re doing.
13. Recruiter Or HR Manager
For starters, it’s safe to say that recruiting is one of the highest paying careers out there for administrative assistants – if you’re an in-house recruiter or HR manager. But even if you’re working as a freelancer from home, you can still find success in recruiting.
However, it’s important to remember that recruiting heavily relies on access to company data and employee records (such as salary information). While this is usually not something freelance recruiters have direct access to, it doesn’t mean that all hope is lost for taking on this role as a freelancer! You just might want to consider other options within this field first.
Consider doing some research into human resources consulting services and offering your expertise through your consultancy firm instead of trying to find remote jobs with an employer directly. While similar in many ways, freelance consulting work allows more freedom in terms of the types of services you can offer while still providing value and insight into a company’s hiring practices and compensation policies on the whole.
In addition to market research services concerning competitive compensation rates, another area worth exploring when considering HR consulting work is employee training programs related specifically to hiring processes such as applicant tracking systems (ATS) software training courses.
14. Web Designer Or Developer
To be a successful web designer or developer, you must have a combination of skills. Web designers need to be creative and able to convey their vision for the website in an artistic manner. On the other hand, web developers need to have strong analytical skills with an understanding of how both the front-end (design) and back-end (code) of websites work. In addition, communication is key for both these roles since they will likely work closely with clients to create the website that best represents their brand and goals.
Understanding the job market is crucial for aspiring and experienced administrative assistants. Explore important insights in our guide on What Every Administrative Assistant Should Know About the Job Market. Stay informed and make informed career decisions.
15. Photographer Or Videographer
If you are skilled at capturing special moments on camera, being a freelance photographer might be the perfect opportunity for you. The median pay for a Photographer is $28,000, and the average pay is $39,000. Photographers are needed for many different events and projects, so it should be easy to find work as a freelance photographer.
If you do not have your camera equipment or don’t want to buy it just yet, there are plenty of places to rent cameras or borrow them from friends and family for specific jobs. You could also look into renting a studio if you need one to conduct your photography business in.
You must have an idea of what kind of photography you want to specialize in before starting as a freelance photographer because different kinds of photos require different types of equipment.
16. Marketing Manager Or Consultant
A marketing manager or consultant interviews a potential company’s management for details about the company’s product, service, and audience target to create an effective marketing strategy to help the company achieve its business goals. This position requires excellent organizational and administrative assistant skills.
17. Social Media Manager Or Digital Marketer
In this digital age, every business needs a foot in the social media door. If you’re savvy with social media platforms and can show businesses how to best use them, you could make up to $50/hour as an administrative assistant.
Keep in mind that rates will vary based on what services you offer and your experience level. For example, if you are just starting, you may only be able to do the research aspect of social media posting. But if you have been doing this for a while and have experience with creating graphics or writing copy, that will increase your potential hourly rate.
Take a look at these skills that employers are looking for when hiring freelancers as a Social Media Managers:
- Understanding of online communities and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter;
- The ability to analyze data (e.g., web traffic performance) generated by blogs or other social media posts;
- Experience using tools such as Google Analytics;
- Ability to use content management systems like WordPress;
- Writing skills that allow effective communication with audiences through blog posts or tweets;
Final Thoughts
Congratulations, you’ve made it to the end! We’ve taken quite a deep dive into some of the best-paying freelance jobs for administrative assistants. You now know how to get started in several of these positions and what skills you need to succeed.
The good news is that these skills are valuable for many entrepreneurial pursuits. Are you looking to be a top-paid blogger? A sought-after social media manager? Want to become an Instagram influencer but don’t know where to start? The skills we discussed scheduling appointments and meetings, controlling email inboxes, managing databases, and getting involved in marketing and sales efforts are all transferrable, so keep exploring your options!
Whether you choose one of the jobs we outlined or not, remember: there’s no reason why earning a high income has to mean leaving the comfort of your own home (or even your couch!) Best wishes as you embark on your freelance journey.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources for further reading on related topics:
Highest Paying Freelance Jobs: Explore a comprehensive list of high-paying freelance jobs across various industries, providing opportunities for financial growth and flexibility.
Virtual Assistant Jobs for Beginners: Discover entry-level virtual assistant jobs that offer a flexible work arrangement and provide a stepping stone into the world of freelancing.
Companies Hiring Virtual Assistant Jobs: Find a curated list of companies that are actively hiring virtual assistants, presenting potential job opportunities for individuals seeking remote administrative roles.
People Also Ask
What Is The Best Job For An Administrative Assistant?
An administrative assistant position with a high salary can be found in any industry, as long as you are willing to look at different cities. The average salary for an administrative assistant position is $16.82 per hour, but that varies between industries and cities.
Is Administrative Assistant A Good Career?
Administrative Assistant is an excellent career path. It takes a skilled person to perform the function of an Administrative Assistant because of their many duties. However, people who excel at being Administrative Assistants tend to enjoy having a variety of responsibilities and interacting with many different people daily.
What Is The Highest-Paying Job For Administrative Assistants?
According to Glassdoor, the highest paying jobs for administrative assistants were in management consulting and accounting firms; investment banking and corporate banking; oil and gas production; state government administration; and insurance firms. These jobs paid anywhere from $35k – $45k annually, on average.
What Are The Best Jobs For Administrative Assistants?
The top three industries for finding top-paying jobs as an administrative assistant are management consulting and accounting firms where you can earn about $65K per year; oil & gas production where you can earn about $57K per year; or insurance companies where you can earn approximately $56K per year.
How Much Do Administrative Assistants Make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, administrative assistants made an annual median income of $38,880 in 2020. While this varies based on the position, experience level, and a variety of other factors, you can expect to earn anywhere between $21,860 and around $50,000 per year as an administrative assistant.
Is Administrative Assistant A Stressful Job?
Jobs, in general, are considered stressful if they require long work hours and offer little control over your day-to-day life. Administrative assistants often have set schedules and duties that don’t stray outside their job description unless they’re asked or paid extra to do so. Because of this, many people find it a relatively low-stress career path with plenty of room for growth.
What Is The Difference Between An Administrative Assistant And An Office Manager?
The difference between these two roles is largely in how much responsibility they’ve been delegated by their employers both are responsible for handling clerical tasks such as answering phones and taking messages; however, an office manager will also be tasked with managing other employees as well as various projects at once within a given work site or department depending on the size of the organization.
How Much Does A Freelance Administrative Assistant Make Per Hour?
The pay range for a freelance administrative assistant can vary widely depending on client needs, experience level, and industry expertise. However, PayScale estimates a mean hourly rate of $15-$20 per hour with the median hourly rate being $16 per hour as of January 2021.
Some freelancers charge an hourly rate while others charge a project rate depending on the scope of work involved; it’s up to you how you structure your rates for potential clients.
It’s also important that you do research upfront so that you have realistic expectations in terms of what you should be charging based on your experience level versus what you’re comfortable charging given your expenses (rent/mortgage payment etc.).
How Do I Become A Freelance Administrative Assistant?
To get started as a freelance administrative assistant in this growing field: Gain some experience working as an administrative assistant either full-time or part-time before going into freelancing full-time.
This will help you get comfortable in the professional environment and understand what it takes to perform well as an administrative assistant and provide quality service when working with different types of people (clientele or coworkers).
In addition, having some paid experience under your belt will help attract new clients who may want reassurance that they’re hiring someone with the necessary qualifications based on.
I am a content writer, and I love what I do! Writing makes me feel like the words are flowing through my fingers, and then onto the keyboard, like magic. My experience as a writer has taught me that writing makes me feel good, as well as helps others to feel better too!