Pay Outlook Mixed for Office Workers

Some office workers in Orange County will see modest pay increases this year, while others will experience a decline in pay.

This good news-bad news scenario was one of the findings of a recent survey of county employers by Thomas Staffing, the Irvine-based temporary employment agency.

Conducted in the fourth quarter of 1996, the study found that executive secretaries and administrative assistants are expected to receive the highest average starting salaries this year. Accounting clerks, secretaries with word processing skills, and customer service representatives are expected to see the biggest pay increases.

However, starting salaries for data entry clerks and receptionists are expected to decline slightly from 1996 levels, the survey found.

Thomas Staffing executives said the findings underscore the need for office workers to be highly skilled and conversant in a variety of software programs.

Patrice Apodaca covers economic issues for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-5979 and at patrice.apodaca@latimes.com.