Administrative Assistant Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Administrative assistant jobs in Tucson lean toward hospitals and government: TMC, Carondelet's physician practices, the state prison complex on South Wilmot Road and federal offices all post office-support roles. Most pay about $17 to $24 an hour. Openings are below, then who is hiring and what it takes.
Current Administrative Assistant Openings in Tucson, AZ
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Administrative Assistant Work in Tucson
Tucson's office economy is unusually public. The University of Arizona is the metro's largest employer, and HUD counts about 8,500 State of Arizona and 7,300 Pima County jobs in the area, plus Customs and Border Protection's Tucson operations and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on the southeast side. Raytheon, the largest private employer, runs its missile plant south of Tucson International Airport. Health care is the largest private sector, so hospital departments and physician practices from midtown to Oro Valley keep a steady stream of scheduling and office-support openings.
That mix shapes the job. Government postings come with background checks and graded pay, health care roles add scheduling, authorizations and medical terminology, and the University of Arizona, Pima County and the City of Tucson each post through their own online portals, so search those directly too. Office and administrative support workers in metro Tucson averaged $22.92 an hour in May 2025 federal wage data.
Top Tucson Employers Hiring Administrative Assistants
These Tucson employers have posted administrative support roles on their own careers sites in recent months:
- Tucson Medical Center - TMC Health posts executive assistant and clerical roles for the hospital system and its TMCOne clinics.
- Carondelet Health Network - medical secretaries for Carondelet physician practices such as Carondelet Western Neuro handle physician calls, scheduling and authorizations.
- State of Arizona - the Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry posted an Administrative Assistant III at the Arizona State Prison Complex - Tucson at $38,400 a year, closing in September 2026.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection - the Tucson Field Office posted a Mission Support Assistant at GS-5 to GS-6, $40,736 to $59,031 a year, closing in August 2026.
Administrative Assistant Salaries in Tucson
- Entry level: about $17 to $20 an hour ($35,000 to $42,000 a year).
- Experienced: about $20 to $24 an hour ($42,000 to $50,000 a year).
- Senior or executive support: about $24 to $30 an hour ($50,000 to $62,000 a year).
These are estimates that vary by employer and experience. State jobs post a single graded salary, federal jobs post GS ranges that rise with each step, and hospital systems generally do not post pay. Executive support for a department head or hospital leader, budget and purchasing duties, and years of experience move pay up the most.
How to Become an Administrative Assistant in Tucson
Arizona has no license for administrative assistants. Most employers want a high school diploma or GED and solid office skills; the state's Tucson prison complex posting preferred three years of administrative experience and Google Workspace skills and required a background investigation and drug test, while TMC's executive assistant role asks for an associate degree and three years of administrative support. Pima Community College's Basic Business certificate, about 9 months full time at the Downtown, Northwest or West campus or online, prepares students for entry-level office administration, and its Business AAS goes further.
What the Job Involves
Administrative assistants keep an office running: managing calendars and meetings, answering phones and email, preparing documents, spreadsheets and reports, ordering supplies, processing requisitions and keeping records in order. In a medical practice that adds scheduling procedures and chasing insurance authorizations; in a government office it adds forms, records requests and strict confidentiality.
Skills Employers Look For
- Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, including spreadsheets
- Calendar and meeting management for several people at once
- Clear business writing and correct grammar
- Accuracy with records, budgets and requisitions
- Discretion with confidential information
- Medical terminology for hospital and clinic offices
Career Path and Advancement
The common Tucson ladder runs from receptionist or office assistant to administrative assistant, then executive assistant or administrative coordinator, and on to office manager. State and federal jobs climb by grade, so an Administrative Assistant II becomes a III and a GS-5 becomes a GS-7 with experience, and hospital office staff can move into the patient access scheduler and coordinator roles TMC posts.
Related Careers in Tucson
These Tucson guides cover the closest office-support roles:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do administrative assistants make in Tucson?
Most Tucson administrative assistant jobs pay about $17 to $24 an hour, and senior or executive support roles reach about $30. Recent postings include $38,400 a year at the state prison complex and $40,736 to $59,031 for a CBP mission support assistant. These are estimates that vary by employer and experience.
What do you need to become an administrative assistant in Tucson?
A high school diploma or GED and strong computer skills are the baseline. Executive roles such as TMC's executive assistant ask for an associate degree and three years of administrative support, and government jobs add a background check.
Do administrative assistants need a license in Arizona?
No. Arizona does not license administrative assistants. Certificates such as Pima Community College's Basic Business certificate help, but they are employer preference, not a legal requirement.
Which Tucson employers hire administrative assistants?
Recent postings on employers' own sites came from Tucson Medical Center, Carondelet Health Network, the State of Arizona at its Tucson prison complex and U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Tucson Field Office. The University of Arizona, Pima County and the City of Tucson also post office jobs through their own portals.
Can a receptionist job lead to an administrative assistant role in Tucson?
Yes. Front-desk work builds the phone, scheduling and records skills administrative jobs ask for, and state and federal jobs reward that experience with higher grades. Many assistants then move on to executive assistant or office manager.
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