by our College Data Analytics TeamThere 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.
A degree in Business Support & Assistant Services covers Business Operations Support And Assistant Services. Continue reading for the key facts every business support & assistant services student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering business support & assistant services programs.
Nationwide, business support & assistant services is a popular field of study, with 16,153 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Business Support & Assistant Services Schools ranking analyzes these 667 schools to determine the best overall colleges for business support & assistant services students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of business support & assistant services programs later in this article.
Programs in Business Support & Assistant Services emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations business support & assistant services graduates commonly enter.
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.
Skills built by a business support & assistant services program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a business support & assistant services major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several business support & assistant services degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 3,043 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 2,516 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 352 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 7,177 |
People currently working in careers related to business support & assistant services tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 36.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 23.3% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 15.2% |
| Some college courses | 13.8% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 7.7% |
| Master’s degree | 2.5% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.5% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.2% |
| First professional degree | 0.1% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in business support & assistant services careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
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.
Majoring in business support & assistant services can lead to many career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to business support & assistant services.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to business support & assistant services.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo and Freight Agents | 2,161,434 | 8.2% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,156,323 | 9.4% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 1,904,234 | -0.4% |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | 1,848,074 | 11.4% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,827,394 | -3.9% |
| Freight Forwarders | 1,509,563 | 0.3% |
| Correspondence Clerks | 1,417,935 | -2.6% |
| Order Clerks | 1,247,994 | -0.5% |
The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of business support & assistant services graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $24,716 |
| 4 years | $28,352 |
| 5 years | $31,368 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for business support & assistant services graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers business support & assistant services grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Security Management Specialists | $128,654 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $113,637 |
| Online Merchants | $106,971 |
| Sustainability Specialists | $81,004 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $62,906 |
| Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance | $62,885 |
| Office Clerks, General | $62,233 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $59,046 |
With 667 different business support & assistant services programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased business support & assistant services school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in business support & assistant services, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 402,942 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 81,835 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 62,236 |
| Business/Commerce, General | 57,976 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 57,564 |
| Marketing | 53,750 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 25,424 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 14,306 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 13,333 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 12,092 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
