Healthcare Workforce Partnership 
Office & Research Support Careers
What are they?
People in Office and Research Support careers help hospitals, clinics, and research labs stay organized, keep track of important information, and support the doctors, nurses, and scientists who care for patients and discover new medical knowledge. These workers often don’t wear lab coats or scrubs, but their work is just as important!
What kind of jobs are in this area?
🖥 Medical Administrative Assistant
Greets patients, answers phones, and helps with appointments.
Keeps track of patient records and schedules.
📊 Health Information Technician
Makes sure patient files and health records are accurate and secure.
Uses computers to manage health information.
📁 Office Support Specialist
Helps with paperwork, billing, and organizing daily tasks in hospitals and clinics.
Supports doctors and nurses so they can focus on patient care.
🔬 Research Assistant
Helps scientists and doctors gather information for studies.
Enters data into computers and helps with lab supplies or surveys.
What kind of person would like this work?
✅ You like organizing things (like your school supplies or locker).
✅ You’re good with computers and details.
✅ You enjoy helping others and being part of a team.
✅ You like the idea of helping hospitals or scientists behind the scenes.
Where do they work?
Hospitals and clinics, Medical offices, Research labs at universities, Public health departments, Pharmaceutical companies (places that make medicine)
Why are these jobs important?
Without Office and Research Support workers, hospitals would be chaotic and researchers would struggle to keep track of their studies. These careers help the whole system work better — they’re like the glue that holds everything together!
What is it like to work in an Office and Research Support career?
All careers in this cluster help to improve the way care is delivered to patients. This means that almost all careers in this cluster must be familiar with and comfortable using technology as part of daily work. Since this technology also changes very quickly, it is helpful for people working in this cluster to actively seek to increase their skills and knowledge around technology and information-sharing trends.
For careers like community health worker, health educator, and health services manager, who often work directly with patients in diverse communities, cultural competency is also extremely important. “Cultural competency” means that one can work effectively with people of different cultures. Understanding the way different cultures view health care as part of their daily lives and learning to work with these views allows for much more effective delivery of care.
If you think you might want to work in an Office and Research Support career, it is highly recommended that you work with a career counselor or academic counselor to make sure that you create a career plan that is realistic and matches your goals.
Local Office & Research Support Careers Occupations by Education and Training Level
Updated: May 19, 2025
REB - REGIONAL EMPLOYMENT BOARD OF HAMPDEN COUNTRY, INC.