Office & Administrative Jobs in Houston, TX

Office and administrative support is 11.5 percent of all jobs in the Houston metro, a slightly bigger share than the nation's, and the Texas Medical Center is where much of today's steady hiring sits. The guides below cover every office and administrative role in Houston, who is hiring and what it pays.

Why Office & Administrative Work Is Different in Houston

Houston has no zoning, so its office jobs never piled up in one downtown. They are spread across a string of separate job centers: the downtown towers, Uptown and the Galleria along Post Oak, Greenway Plaza on the Southwest Freeway, Westchase at the Beltway, the Energy Corridor on the Katy Freeway and the Texas Medical Center off Fannin St and Holcombe Blvd. Add the suburban hospital campuses, from Houston Methodist Willowbrook on SH 249 to Houston Methodist Sugar Land on the Southwest Freeway and MD Anderson's sites in League City, and an office job seeker here picks a commute as much as an employer. Federal wage data shows office and administrative support at 11.5 percent of metro employment against 11.4 percent nationally, with a mean wage of $23.66 an hour, a little under the national $24.79.

The bigger change is who is doing the hiring. The Greater Houston Partnership's 2026 forecast expects administrative support services to contract along with oil and gas extraction and manufacturing, while health care and social assistance adds nearly half of all new jobs in the region. That is why the front desks and executive suites of the health systems carry so much of the steady office work. MD Anderson and Houston Methodist post administrative and executive assistant openings department by department, Memorial Hermann and Baylor St. Luke's hire patient access representatives for their front desks, and staffing firms fill temporary and permanent office roles from Pasadena to Missouri City.

Top Office & Administrative Employers in Houston

These employers had office, front desk or executive support roles on their own careers sites this month:

• MD Anderson Cancer Center - the cancer center hires administrative assistants, executive assistants, receptionists and patient access staff in the Texas Medical Center and at regional sites.
• Houston Methodist - the eight-hospital system hires receptionists, administrative assistants and executive assistants from the Med Center to Willowbrook and Sugar Land.
• Memorial Hermann - the health system lists patient access representative as an entry-level role across its hospitals, clinics and call center.
• Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center - the Med Center hospital, part of CommonSpirit Health, hires administrative assistants, patient access representatives and communications operators.
• University of Houston - the Third Ward university posts administrative and executive assistant roles across its colleges and student services.
• Texas Children's Pediatrics - the pediatric practice network hires office staff for more than 50 locations across Houston and nearby communities.
• Robert Half - the staffing firm fills receptionist, administrative assistant, executive assistant and office administrator roles, from Pasadena and Humble to the Galleria.

Office & Administrative Career Paths in Houston

• Front desk and reception - Receptionist, Front Desk Coordinator. The fastest way in, often through a hospital front desk, with a year or so of customer service behind you.
• Administrative support - Administrative Assistant, Administrative Coordinator, Executive Assistant. The main ladder, running from department support to the executive suite.
• Records and office operations - Office Clerk, Data Entry Clerk, Records Specialist. Detail-heavy roles that keep files, systems and billing records accurate.
• Management - Office Manager. Where experienced assistants and coordinators go when they take on staff, vendors and budgets.

How to Start an Office & Administrative Career in Houston

• High school diploma or GED - the stated minimum on many Houston Methodist and MD Anderson office postings, which then ask for customer service or clerical experience.
• Houston City College Business Technology - degrees and certificates in General Office Administration, Medical Office Specialist and Microsoft Office Technology, offered at all campuses and online.
• Lone Star College-Montgomery Administrative Assistant Certificate - a non-credit fast-track program, now offered fully online, that prepares you for the IAAP Certified Administrative Professional exam.
• San Jacinto College Business Office Systems and Support - office software and business office training for assistant roles in schools, hospitals, companies and government.
• Texas notary public commission - issued by the Texas Secretary of State to Texas residents 18 and over, and sometimes preferred for executive assistant roles.

None of these is legally required: Texas does not license receptionists, administrative assistants, executive assistants, office clerks or office managers, so every credential on this list is employer preference.

Office & Administrative Salaries in Houston

• Entry - about $12 to $19 an hour for receptionists, office clerks and data entry clerks, whose Houston medians run from $17.00 to $19.41.
• Mid - about $19 to $26 an hour for administrative assistants and coordinators, around a Houston median of $22.48.
• Senior - about $30 to $50 an hour for executive assistants and office managers, whose Houston medians are $35.99 and $31.73.

These are estimates from federal wage data for the Houston metro, cross-checked against current postings. The health systems publish pay ranges on some postings, such as $53,000 to $79,000 for a recent MD Anderson executive assistant, while temporary office work through staffing firms is running about $18 an hour at the front desk and $30 to $35 an hour for executive support. Pay rises with the seniority of the person or team you support, with legal specialization, where temporary legal secretary work is posted at $33 to $38 an hour, and with the move from answering phones to handling scheduling, billing and records.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a license for office jobs in Houston?

No. Texas does not license receptionists, administrative assistants, executive assistants or office managers. Employers look for experience and software skills, and some value an office administration certificate, the IAAP Certified Administrative Professional credential or a Texas notary commission.

Which office jobs pay the most in Houston?

Executive assistants top the list, with a Houston median of $35.99 an hour and the top tenth earning over about $105,000 a year. Office managers follow at a median of $31.73 an hour, then administrative assistants at $22.48.

Where are the office jobs in Houston?

They are spread across several job centers rather than one downtown: the Texas Medical Center, downtown, Uptown and the Galleria, Greenway Plaza, Westchase and the Energy Corridor, plus hospital campuses in the suburbs. Pick the job center you can commute to before you pick the employer.

Can you get an office job in Houston with no experience?

Sometimes, at the front desk. Memorial Hermann lists patient access representative as an entry-level role, though many receptionist openings still ask for one or two years of customer service. From there, moving up to administrative assistant is the normal next step.

Are office jobs growing in Houston?

Not evenly. The Greater Houston Partnership expects administrative support services to shrink in 2026 while health care adds nearly half of the region's new jobs, so office roles tied to hospitals and clinics are the steadier bet.

Ready to get started? Browse all current office and administrative job openings in Houston, TX on LocalJobPage.