Office Administrative Services Revenue Benchmarks
The average office administrative services business in the United States generates $2.3M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 33,249 office administrative services businesses in the U.S., employing 526,457 workers with an average profit margin of 8.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $104K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Office Administrative Business Actually Do?
Virtual assistants, administrative outsourcing, and back-office support services. Increasingly remote-work-enabled with offshore competition.
Who buys: Small business owners, solopreneurs, busy executives outsourcing administrative work.
Average Revenue
$2.3M
per year
Profit Margin
8.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$144K
per year
Total Businesses
33,249
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$182K
small business avg
Labor Cost
55.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$104K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
10.0
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Office Administrative Services Charge?
Virtual assistants and office admin services charge hourly, per project, or on retainer.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Virtual assistant (US) | $25–75/hour |
Virtual assistant (offshore) | $8–30/hour |
Executive assistant (fractional) | $50–125/hour |
Monthly retainer (10 hrs/week) | $1,500–5,000/month |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete office administrative business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a office administrative services business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the office administrative services industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Direct service costs | $7 | $168K | Cleaning supplies, uniforms, equipment consumables — depends on service type. |
Wages & benefits | $55 | $1.3M | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $6 | $126K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $4 | $84K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $20 | $463K | Insurance, background checks, training, transportation, admin. |
Net profit | $8 | $182K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
13.33%
openings/year
Closure Rate
10.74%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+5.33%
annual
Businesses Closed
2,724
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Office Administrative Business?
Startup Cost
$50K – $250K
Break-Even
10 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a office administrative services business do?
- Virtual assistants, administrative outsourcing, and back-office support services. Increasingly remote-work-enabled with offshore competition. Small business owners, solopreneurs, busy executives outsourcing administrative work.
- How much do office administrative services charge?
- Virtual assistants and office admin services charge hourly, per project, or on retainer. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average office administrative services make per year?
- The average office administrative services business generates $2.3M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $182K per year at a 8.0% profit margin.
- How many office administrative services businesses are there in the US?
- There are 33,249 office administrative services businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 526,457 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a office administrative services business?
- Startup costs for a office administrative services business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
- What is the average salary in the office administrative services industry?
- The average employee in the office administrative services industry earns $104K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The office administrative services industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 5.3% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (13.3% entry vs 10.7% exit), indicating healthy demand.
Approximately 57% of office administrative services businesses survive their first 5 years. This is near the national average (~50%), with typical business risk. In 2023, 2,724 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the office administrative services industry earns $104,261/year. This is significantly above the national average of ~$65K, reflecting the skilled nature of this work. With 78,433 establishments employing 611,619 people, the typical business has about 8 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The office administrative services industry has grown 47% since 2000 (from 19,712 to 29,033 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Office Administrative Services revenue with other industries: