Clerical & Administrative Support
Executive Assistant
Salary, job outlook, education and requirements
Provide high-level administrative support by conducting research, preparing statistical reports, and handling information requests, as well as performing routine administrative functions such as preparing correspondence, receiving visitors, arranging conference calls, and scheduling meetings. May also train and supervise lower-level clerical staff.
Also called: Administrative Aide · Administrative Assistant · Administrative Associate · Administrative Coordinator · Administrative Secretary · Administrative Specialist · Executive Administrative Assistant · Executive Assistant
O*NET-SOC 43-6011.00 (Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants)
Executive Assistant salary
Wages for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants across all employers, 2025 data. The 10th percentile is typical entry-level pay; the 90th percentile reflects the most experienced and highest-paid workers.
National median hourly wage: $36.82.
Executive Assistant pay by state
Ten largest states by population, annual wages.
| State | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $58,060 | $89,000 | $130,510 |
| Texas | $50,740 | $71,990 | $103,080 |
| Florida | $42,830 | $64,710 | $99,220 |
| New York | $61,420 | $80,640 | $122,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,920 | $75,270 | $102,690 |
| Illinois | $50,750 | $74,390 | $104,850 |
| Ohio | $47,480 | $69,600 | $99,330 |
| Georgia | $51,840 | $68,290 | $99,540 |
| North Carolina | $49,720 | $70,140 | $99,710 |
| Michigan | $47,810 | $66,840 | $99,400 |
Executive Assistant job outlook
- Employment is projected to go from 489,300 jobs in 2025 to 489,200 in 2035 (0% change).
- About 43,300 openings are projected each year, including jobs that open up as workers retire or change occupations.
- CareerOneStop outlook rating: Below Average.
How to become an executive assistant
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years work experience
- On-the-job training
- No on-the-job training
Education level of current workers
- Less than high school diploma1.3%
- High school diploma or equivalent13.6%
- Some college, no degree26.5%
- Associate's degree12.6%
- Bachelor's degree36%
- Master's degree8.9%
- Doctoral or professional degree1.2%
Related training programs
- Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General
- Executive Assistant/Executive Secretary
What does an executive assistant do?
Common tasks
- Manage and maintain executives' schedules.
- Process payroll information.
- Make travel arrangements for executives.
- Prepare invoices, reports, memos, letters, financial statements, and other documents, using word processing, spreadsheet, database, or presentation software.
- Coordinate and direct office services, such as records, departmental finances, budget preparation, personnel issues, and housekeeping, to aid executives.
- Answer phone calls and direct calls to appropriate parties or take messages.
- Prepare responses to correspondence containing routine inquiries.
- Open, sort, and distribute incoming correspondence, including faxes and email.
- Greet visitors and determine whether they should be given access to specific individuals.
- Prepare agendas and make arrangements, such as coordinating catering for luncheons, for committee, board, and other meetings.
Most important skills
- Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
- Speaking
- Talking to others.
- Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
- Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
- Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
- Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
- Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Executive Assistant certifications
8 of 43 certifications CareerOneStop maps to this occupation. Requirements vary by employer and state.
- Microsoft Corporation · Product/Equipment
- Microsoft Corporation · Product/Equipment
- Microsoft Corporation · Product/Equipment
- Microsoft Corporation · Product/Equipment
- Isograd/Tosa · Skill
- Isograd/Tosa · Skill
- American Society of Administrative Professionals · Core
- Microsoft Corporation · Product/Equipment
See all 43certifications in CareerOneStop's Certification Finder
Executive Assistant jobs
Current federal openings from USAJOBS. For more clerical & administrative support jobs, including private-sector listings, see the Clerical & Administrative Support jobs hub.
Job data from USAJOBS.gov. Careers.org is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM.
Related careers
- Administrative Assistant
- Administrative Services Managers
- Legal Secretary
- Office Clerks, General
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping
- Correspondence Clerks
- Medical Secretary
- Receptionists and Information Clerks
- Paralegal
More clerical & administrative support careers
This page includes information from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA), and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Source: CareerOneStop occupation profile for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants. Wages are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program; projections are national long-term projections.