2020 Business Support & Assistant Services Degree Guide

There is more to being an assistant than just answering phone calls and fetching the boss's coffee. Almost every office needs a support staff to keep the company running smoothly. Individuals who study Business Support and Assistant Services will be instructed in the duties of becoming an administrative assistant, secretary or stenographer. These skills learned will help you run an office efficiently.

Some of the concentrations available within this major include Executive Assistant, Receptionist, General Office Occupations and Clerical Services, Parts, Warehousing, and Inventory Management Operations, and Traffic, Customs, and Transportation Clerk. While studying this major you will be taking courses in office simulation, desktop publishing, business math, business communication, report writing, administrative office management, and records management. These classes will allow students to grasp the fundamentals of Business Support and Assistant Services. This major is commonly offered as an Associate's Degree.

Business Support & Assistant Services Degrees Decreasing

In 2017-2018, business support and assistant services was the 64th most popular major nationwide with 19,248 degrees awarded. This represents a 4.0% reduction in business support degrees awarded over the prior year's total of -20,019.

The United States has 92 different schools where you can get a degree in business support and assistant services. Explore this or one of our many other custom business support rankings further below.

Business Support & Assistant Services Degree Requirements

If you are able to multitask, this major is for you. The nature of this work is often fast-paced and requires your attention to be on many different things at a time. Being organized and having good people skills will help you be successful in your classes and the work place. If you have the ability to stay organized and keep times and files in order; it will not only benefit you, but the company as well. In order to prepare for this major, it is advised to take courses in English, Precollege math, Psychology, Business and Computer applications.

Business Support Degree Program Entry Requirements

business support and assistant services degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. Once you obtain your degree, additional business support certifications required to pursue a career in this field.

Types of Business Support & Assistant Services Degrees

There are many different business support degree levels. You can get anything from a award taking less than 1 year in business support and assistant services to the highest business support degree, a bachelor's. The time it takes to complete a business support degree varies depending on the program.

Degree	Credit Requirements	Typical Program Length
Associate Degree	60-70 credits	2 years
Bachelor’s Degree	120 credits	4 years
Master’s Degree	50-70 credits	1-3 years
Doctorate	Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation	At least 4 years

A high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to business support, with approximately 47.5% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for business support workers below.

Level of Education	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma	46.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	21.1%
Some College Courses	13.2%
Bachelor’s Degree	11.8%
Post-Secondary Certificate	4.4%

Most workers in business support have at least a award taking 1 to 2 years. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in business support and assistant services have received.

This of course varies depending on which business support career you choose.

Business Support Careers

A graduate with a degree in Business Support and Assistant Services can enter into a variety of occupations. One popular choice is to become an Administrative Assistant. These Assistants help and provide office support services, such as schedule appointments, input data, draft and type letters, and make travel arrangements. The demand for Administrative Assistants is growing at a steady rate. Another occupation that a graduate can consider is a Human Resources Manager. These individuals make sure the employer and employee relationships are running smoothly and oversee the salaries, training and hiring of the company. The demand for these managers is growing at a steady rate, as well. One more opportunity for graduates is to become a paralegal. Paralegals assist lawyer by preparing legal documents for activates such as trials, corporate meetings, and hearing.

Steady Demand Projected for Business Support Careers

Want a job when you graduate with your business support degree?

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to business support and assistant services.

Occupation Name	Projected Jobs	Expected Growth
Office Clerks	3,086,000	-1.0%
Customer Service Representatives	2,920,800	4.9%
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	2,371,300	-6.5%
Receptionists and Information Clerks	1,149,200	9.1%
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	566,200	-17.4%

How Much Money Do People With a Business Support Degree Make?

Business Support & Assistant Services graduates between 2015-2017 reported earning an average of $20,190 in the 2017-2018 timeframe. Earnings can range from as low as $9,300 to as high as $42,300. As you might expect, salaries for business support graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

Highest Paid Business Support Careers

Salaries for business support and assistant services graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top 5 highest paying careers business support grads often go into.

Occupation Name	Median Average Salary
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	$61,550
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks	$50,020
Cargo and Freight Agents	$46,070
Procurement Clerks	$43,180
Dispatchers	$42,940

Getting Your Business Support & Assistant Services Degree

With over 2,469 different business support degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased business support school rankings to help you with this.

Business Support & Assistant Services Related Majors

One of 21 majors within the Business, Management & Marketing area of study, Business Support & Assistant Services has other similar majors worth exploring.

Most Popular Related Majors

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Business Administration & Management	399,810
Accounting	107,851
General Business/Commerce	58,413
Finance & Financial Management	56,960
Marketing	49,179

View All Business Support Related Majors >

References

• National Center for Education Statistics

• O*NET Online

• Image Credit: By Jace Armstrong under License