Administrative Assistant Jobs in San Jose, CA
Administrative assistants in San Jose earn well above the state norm: the metro median is about $30 an hour, against roughly $27 statewide. San Jose State, accounting firms and the tech campuses of North San Jose keep office support in steady demand. Here are the current openings, then who is hiring.
Current administrative assistant Openings in San Jose, CA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Administrative Assistant Work in San Jose
Office support work in San Jose follows the city's two biggest employer types: public institutions downtown and private companies to the north. San Jose State University, the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District and professional firms such as Frank, Rimerman + Co. hire administrative support staff to run departments, budgets and front offices. North San Jose, the Golden Triangle along North First Street, I-880, US 101 and SR 237, holds the hardware and software campuses whose sales, engineering and facilities teams lean on admin staff. Staffing firms also list a steady run of temp and temp-to-hire assignments in San Jose, Los Gatos and Sunnyvale. Pay runs high because the cost of living does: the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara median about $3.60 an hour above California's.
Top San Jose Employers Hiring Administrative Assistants
These employers have posted administrative support roles in the San Jose area on their own career sites:
- San Jose State University - the downtown campus hires Administrative Support Coordinators for offices such as the Bursar and the College of Engineering, at about $4,300 to $4,650 a month.
- Frank, Rimerman + Co. - the accounting and consulting firm hires Office Support Associates for its San Jose office at $27 to $35 an hour, covering reception, document production and partner support.
- San Jose/Evergreen Community College District - the district behind San Jose City College and Evergreen Valley College keeps Administrative Assistant and Administrative Secretary classes for its campus offices.
- Robert Half - the staffing firm places temporary and temp-to-hire administrative assistants across the South Bay, including recent Los Gatos and Sunnyvale assignments at $23 to $29 an hour.
- Supermicro - the San Jose server maker hires sales support administrators and staffing coordinators alongside its executive assistants.
Administrative Assistant Salaries in San Jose
- Entry level: about $22 to $27 an hour for front office and general support roles.
- Experienced: roughly $28 to $35 an hour for assistants who run a department's calendar, purchasing and records.
- Senior: $36 to $43 an hour for senior administrative assistants and coordinators in tech and professional firms.
These are estimates drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics 2025 figures for the San Jose metro (10th percentile $22.13, median $30.26, 90th percentile $42.93 an hour) and current local postings. Pay moves with the employer type, software skills such as Excel and PeopleSoft, and whether the role supports a single team or a whole office. Public employers such as San Jose State pay on published step scales, while tech companies tend to pay more for assistants with executive or sales support experience.
How to Become an Administrative Assistant in San Jose
California does not license administrative assistants, so there is no state exam or board to deal with. Most San Jose employers ask for a high school diploma and about two years of office or customer service experience; San Jose State, for example, lists two years of related office work as its minimum. A short credential helps if you are starting out. Evergreen Valley College in east San Jose offers a 30-unit Business Information Systems Information Processing Specialist Certificate of Achievement that covers business writing, Excel, Word and document production. Temp assignments through a staffing firm are another way in, since temp-to-hire placements can convert to permanent jobs.
What the Job Involves
Administrative assistants keep an office running. Daily tasks include answering phones and greeting visitors, managing calendars and booking meetings, preparing and proofreading documents, ordering supplies, processing invoices and expense reports, keeping files and databases current, and coordinating with vendors and other departments. In larger offices the role often adds event planning, travel booking and onboarding support for new hires.
Skills Employers Look For
- Microsoft Office, especially Excel, Word and Outlook
- Google Workspace and video tools such as Zoom
- Calendar and meeting coordination
- Clear written communication and proofreading
- Budget, purchasing or expense report experience
- Discretion with confidential information
- Customer service and phone etiquette
Career Path and Advancement
Many San Jose assistants start in a front office or temp assignment, move into a department administrative assistant or coordinator role, and then step up to senior administrative assistant or office manager. The best-paid branch is executive support: an experienced assistant who learns to manage a director's or vice president's calendar and travel can move into executive assistant work at a North San Jose tech company, where the metro median tops $50 an hour. Others move sideways into HR, purchasing or operations analyst roles at universities and public agencies.
Related Careers in San Jose
If administrative work interests you, these San Jose guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be an administrative assistant in California?
No. California has no license or state certification for administrative assistants. Employers set their own requirements, usually a high school diploma, office experience and solid computer skills.
How much do administrative assistants make in San Jose?
The San Jose metro median is about $30 an hour, or roughly $63,000 a year, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics 2025 data. Entry roles start around $22 to $27 an hour, and senior assistants in tech and professional firms can reach $40 or more.
How much experience do San Jose employers want?
Two years of office or customer service experience is the most common minimum. San Jose State and Frank, Rimerman + Co. both list about two years, and temp assignments through a staffing firm are a common way to build that experience.
Is there a local program for administrative assistant training?
Yes. Evergreen Valley College in east San Jose offers a 30-unit Information Processing Specialist Certificate of Achievement in Business Information Systems, covering keyboarding, business writing, Excel, Word and Microsoft Office.
Are temp administrative jobs in San Jose worth taking?
Often, yes. South Bay staffing firms list temp-to-hire assignments, which can turn into permanent roles, and temp work lets you try different employers before committing. Ask whether a posting is temp-to-hire and what the conversion terms are.
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