Administrative Support Clerks (NOC 144)

What They Do Administrative clerks compile, verify, record, authorize, and issue licences, permits, applications, contracts, and requisitions, by hand or by computer. They prepare reports, maintain inventories, and perform related clerical duties. Human resources clerks assist personnel officers and human resource specialists. They compile, maintain, and process information relating to staffing, recruitment, training, labour relations, performance evaluation, classification, and related clerical activities. Court clerks prepare court dockets/exhibits and perform other support functions in courtrooms. They also update/maintain court office indexes and files on court actions/decisions.

Where They Find Work —    Top Occupational Areas Public administration 26% Health care and social assistance 14% Finance and insurance 9% Retail trade 5% Wholesale trade 5% Educational services 5% Transportation and warehousing 4% Administrative support clerks work in business/government, including courts. The unionization rate (37%) is close to the average (32%) for all occupations. The highest concentrations (per 10,000 people) of administrative support clerks are found in Saskatchewan and Newfoundland while the lowest concentrations are in Prince Edward Island and Alberta.

Related Occupation(s) Clerical Occupations, General Office Skills (NOC 141) Administrative Officers (NOC 1221)

Something to Think About To enhance your professional knowledge and broaden your opportunities, consider: Assessing new office equipment/ software programs Maintaining office machinery Learning how to build and maintain customer relations

Use the "Where They Find Work" graph to target your worksearch. It may be easier to get into industries with the most people in this field. Want to work in an industry that hires fewer workers in this field? To be more marketable, check out whether you have the most up-to-date knowledge and technology skills for that industry. Check the provincial/territorial or local information (http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca) for opportunities in your area.

What You Need Depending on your chosen job in this field, you'll have different educational requirements. To be an administrative or human resources clerk, you usually need a high school diploma and college or other courses in business or personnel administration. You may also need some clerical experience. To be a court clerk, you must have a high school diploma and receive on-the-job training.With additional training/experience, you may move up the ranks to become a supervisor or officer. Many recent entrants have either an undergraduate university degree or a community college diploma.

Required/Related    Educational Programs* This will let you explore the program(s) of study that lead to this (these) occupation(s). Business Administration (C121) Secretary - General (Office Administration) (C151) Computer Science (C720) Commerce - Business Administration (U120) Economics (U820) *  These educational programs are listed in the order in which they are most likely to supply graduates to this occupation.

Useful Experience/Skills Communication skills Organizational skills Computer literacy Team work Innovation		Useful High School Subjects Business Computer Basics English
Depending on your background, this Education, Training, and Experience info will help you to: Choose your high school courses Plan your post-secondary program Choose relevant volunteer work Decide what new skills to learn Read job ads, professional journals, and newspapers for what the industry needs and employers want. Talk to employers and employees to find out the exceptional skills and knowledge that will help you land a job.

Current Conditions Your work prospects are rated FAIR because: Employement grew at an above-average rate. Hourly wages ($16.72) are close to the average ($18.07), and the rate of wage growth is close to the average. The unemployment rate (3%) is close to the 2004 average (7%).

Work Prospects Current   Fair   2009   Fair

Outlook to 2009 Your work prospects will continue to be FAIR because: The employment growth rate will likely be close to the average. Although the retirement rate will likely be average, the number of retiring workers should contribute to job openings. The number of job openings will likely exceed the number of job seekers. This will not be significant enough to have an impact on the work prospects.

Preparing for the Competition You're more likely to be hired if you demonstrate above-average interpersonal/communication skills. You'll need to develop and maintain computer skills.

If you are beginning your career investigation, national outlooks will give you a good overview of trends. Ready to explore an occupation in more detail? Check provincial/territorial or local outlooks (http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca).

What you can expect to make (Average Hourly Earnings ($/hour))
Age Group This Occupation All Occupations 20-24 $12.21 $11.74 25-54 $17.26 $19.76 55+ $17.69 $19.59 Overall Average for Ages (20+) This Occupation All Occupations $16.72 $18.07		Hourly wages ($16.72) are close to the national average ($18.07). These earnings are close to the average for occupations in the business, finance and administration sector and are close to average for all intermediate occupations. These wages grew at an average rate from 2002 to 2004.
Your salary can be affected by your background, the company's size and benefits, and the region and setting (urban or rural). Check out salaries in your own region by seeking info from: Employees/unions/associations Employers/human resource people Training institutions and placement services Company websites Professional/trade journals

Close to the average
The unemployment rate (3%) is close to the 2004 average (7%). This rate is below the average for intermediate occupations. A low unemployment rate often means less competition for the jobs available. But you still need to have the required training and experience. A high unemployment rate doesn't necessarily mean you'll have great difficulty getting hired. But it can mean a fluctuating demand for workers, and you may experience bouts of unemployment.		Year This Occupation All Occupations 1991 6% 10% 1992 6% 11% 1993 6% 11% 1994 5% 10% 1995 6% 10% 1996 7% 10% 1997 4% 9% 1998 5% 8% 1999 3% 8% 2000 3% 7% 2001 4% 7% 2002 5% 8% 2003 4% 8% 2004 3% 7%

% of part-time work is about the same as average
This Occupation All Occupations Full-time 85% 81% Part-time 15% 19%		There were 238,700 workers employed in these occupations in 2004, an increase of 376% since 1997. The percentage of part-time workers is 15% compared to the 2004 average (19%) and has risen significantly since 1997.
When full-time work is difficult to find, look at alternatives such as contract work, consulting, shared positions, and telework.

Below average
The percentage of self-employed workers (1%) is below the 2004 average (15%) and has risen significantly since 1997.		This Occupation All Occupations Self-Employed 1% 15%
Does this occupation have an above-average rate of self-employment? Consider being your own boss if you can't find work with an employer.

Age Group This Occupation All Occupations 20-24 9% 10% 25-54 78% 72% 55+ 12% 12%		The retirement rate to 2009 will likely be average influenced by a similar-to-average age of workers (40).
Look at the youngest group. A low percentage means fewer openings for brand-new workers. A high percentage means more openings for brand-new workers. Look at the oldest age group. A high percentage means positions could open up from retirements. This could be significant for both mid-career changers and brand-new workers.

Above average
The percentage of women (94%) is above the 2004 average of 48% and has risen significantly since 1997.		This Occupation All Occupations Percent Women 94% 48%

This page last modified on: 2007-03-31