Office & Administrative Jobs in New York, NY

From the hospital offices of Kips Bay to the city agencies of Lower Manhattan, New York runs on administrative staff, and NYC's pay transparency law puts a salary on nearly every posting. The guides below cover every office and administrative role in New York, who is hiring, and what it pays.

Administrative Assistant Jobs Office Manager Jobs Receptionist Jobs

Why Office Work Is Different in New York

Office work in New York clusters in a few places, and knowing them makes the search faster. Health care is the steadiest employer: NYU Langone Health, Memorial Sloan Kettering and Weill Cornell Medicine along First Avenue and on the Upper East Side hire administrative assistants, patient coordinators and front desk staff for clinical departments and outpatient practices. Government is the other anchor. MTA New York City Transit at 2 Broadway, the Department of Transportation at 55 Water Street, NYCHA and other city agencies fill clerical, secretary and receptionist roles through the civil service system, often with pensions and union protections that private offices do not match.

The private market is concentrated in Manhattan: finance and trading firms in Midtown and the Financial District, media and tech companies in Hudson Yards and NoHo, and consulting firms throughout. These employers pay the most for office managers and executive assistants, often $80,000 to $120,000, but they also expect you in the office most or all of the week. Two local rules shape every search. The city's pay transparency law requires a salary range on most postings, so you can compare offers before you apply, and the NYC minimum wage of $17 an hour in 2026 sets the floor for entry roles like receptionist.

Top Office & Administrative Employers in New York

These employers have posted office and administrative openings on their own career sites in recent weeks:

  • NYU Langone Health - hires administrative assistants for clinical departments, psychiatry and legal, with posted ranges from about $51,000 to $88,000.
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering - the Upper East Side cancer center hires research administrative assistants and patient-facing office coordinators at about $24 to $40 an hour.
  • Weill Cornell Medicine - its practices hire senior patient coordinators for check-in, registration and scheduling at $27.80 to $30.27 an hour.
  • MTA New York City Transit - hires administrative assistants and executive secretaries, including a role in the Office of the President at $63,556 to $80,962.
  • NYC Department of Transportation - posts Clerical Associate roles at its Lower Manhattan offices at $46,503 to $73,002.
  • NYC Office of Labor Relations - hiring a civil service receptionist at 22 Cortlandt Street at $51,227 to $74,134.
  • Fanatics Betting and Gaming - hiring an office manager for its New York office at $77,000 to $110,000.

Office & Administrative Career Paths in New York

  • Front desk and patient access - Receptionist and Front Desk Coordinator. The most common first job in the field, concentrated in medical practices, city agencies, gyms and co-working spaces.
  • Administrative and executive support - Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant and Administrative Coordinator. The core of the field, supporting departments at hospitals, agencies and Manhattan firms.
  • Clerical and records - Data Entry Clerk, Office Clerk and Records Specialist. Steady back-office work, much of it in city government under civil service titles like Clerical Associate.
  • Office leadership - Office Manager. The top of the ladder for most people in the field, running the space, vendors and front desk for a firm or practice.

How to Start an Office & Administrative Career in New York

  • High school diploma or equivalent - the baseline for nearly every receptionist, clerk and administrative assistant role.
  • NYC civil service exams - the Department of Citywide Administrative Services tests for Clerical Associate and Secretary through its Bridge Exam, and city agencies hire from the resulting lists.
  • LaGuardia Community College Continuing Education - in Long Island City, offers a Certified Administrative Professional course and a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) program.
  • Queensborough Community College - in Bayside, runs a remote CMAA course and a for-credit Medical Office Assistant certificate.
  • Bronx Community College and BMCC - Bronx Community College offers an Office Administration and Technology associate degree, and the Borough of Manhattan Community College in Tribeca offers Business Management degrees.

None of these roles requires a New York State license; civil service exams are required for permanent city titles, and certificates and degrees are employer preference.

Office & Administrative Salaries in New York

  • Entry - about $17 to $22 an hour for receptionists, front desk associates and entry-level clerks.
  • Mid - roughly $22 to $30 an hour, or $45,000 to $62,000 a year, for experienced administrative assistants, patient coordinators and city clerical titles.
  • Senior - $62,000 to $127,000 a year for executive assistants, senior agency staff and office managers, with the metro medians for executive assistants and office supervisors both above $80,000.

These are estimates based on BLS May 2025 wage data for the New York metro and ranges posted by local employers. Hospitals and city agencies pay mid-range salaries but add strong benefits, pensions and union contracts, while finance, trading and consulting firms pay the most for office managers and executive assistants. Bilingual skills, especially Spanish or Chinese, add value in patient-facing and public-facing roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a license for office jobs in New York?

No. New York State does not license receptionists, administrative assistants, clerks or office managers. Permanent city government jobs do require passing a civil service exam, and some employers prefer certificates such as the CMAA for medical offices.

What is the best entry-level office job in New York City?

Receptionist and front desk roles are the most common way in, especially at medical practices, where titles like patient coordinator often pay more than a corporate front desk. From there many people move into administrative assistant work within a year or two.

How do I get an office job with the City of New York?

Watch the DCAS exam schedule for titles like Clerical Associate and Secretary, take the exam, and apply to agency postings once you are on the eligible list.

How much do administrative jobs pay in New York?

BLS May 2025 data puts the metro median at about $21.48 an hour for receptionists and $24.73 for administrative assistants. Executive assistants and office managers earn a median above $80,000 a year.

Are office jobs in New York remote?

Mostly not. Front desk, hospital and agency roles are on site, and most Manhattan office manager postings expect you in person, though some administrative roles allow a few remote days a week.

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