State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants earn a median of $76,590 per year ($36.82/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 1.6% through 2034, with about 50,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 43-6011Office and Administrative SupportLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $76,590
- Projected growth
- -1.6%
- Openings a year
- 50,000
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Administrative Aide, Administrative Assistant, Administrative Associate, Administrative Coordinator, Administrative Secretary, Administrative Specialist.
How much do Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants make?
10th percentile$50,560
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$61,390
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$76,590
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$94,390
Upper quartile
90th percentile$109,850
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $76,590 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $36.82/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $79,140 |
| People employed | 459,910 |
Versus all US occupations
At $76,590, Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants earn 50% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $25,610 a year.
Versus office and administrative support occupations
Inside the Office and Administrative Support group, where the middle occupation pays $48,500, this is 58% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $109,850 or more while the bottom 10% earn $50,560, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 61% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $90,850, and still leads at $82,665 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $90,850 | $82,665 | 4,560 |
| New Jersey | $89,520 | $82,276 | 11,690 |
| California | $89,000 | $80,383 | 59,640 |
| Massachusetts | $82,650 | $78,151 | 14,820 |
| Connecticut | $82,520 | $79,645 | 6,490 |
| Hawaii | $80,710 | $73,405 | 1,440 |
| New York | $80,640 | $74,721 | 88,890 |
| Virginia | $80,330 | $79,453 | 10,360 |
| Washington | $79,250 | $74,056 | 11,560 |
| Delaware | $78,920 | $79,072 | 1,320 |
Is Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant a growing career?
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants-1.6%
All US occupations3.1%
-1.6% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants to change -1.6% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 7,900 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 50,000 openings are projected each year, 9.9% of the 502,800 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of secretaries and administrative assistants is projected to decline 0 percent from 2024 to 2034.
Despite declining employment, about 358,300 openings for secretaries and administrative assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of secretaries and administrative assistants varies by occupation (see table).
How to become an Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant
High school graduates who are comfortable using word processing and spreadsheet programs typically qualify for entry-level positions. Although workers typically learn their duties over several weeks on the job, legal and medical secretaries and administrative assistants may need additional training to learn industry-specific terminology. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants typically need several years of related work experience.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | Less than 5 years |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants.
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)33.8%
- High School Diploma24.2%
- Some College Courses20.9%
- Bachelor's Degree11.9%
- Post-Master's Certificate3.4%
What does an Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant do?
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.
Secretaries and administrative assistants do routine clerical and organizational tasks. They arrange files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.
Day-to-day tasks
- Answer phone calls and direct calls to appropriate parties or take messages.
- Prepare invoices, reports, memos, letters, financial statements, and other documents, using word processing, spreadsheet, database, or presentation software.
- Perform general office duties, such as ordering supplies, maintaining records management database systems, and performing basic bookkeeping work.
- Prepare responses to correspondence containing routine inquiries.
- Open, sort, and distribute incoming correspondence, including faxes and email.
- Prepare agendas and make arrangements, such as coordinating catering for luncheons, for committee, board, and other meetings.
- File and retrieve corporate documents, records, and reports.
- Read and analyze incoming memos, submissions, and reports to determine their significance and plan their distribution.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Writing3.8/5
- Critical Thinking3.3/5
- Active Learning3.1/5
- Monitoring3.1/5
- Learning Strategies2.9/5
Transferable skills
- Service Orientation3.8/5
- Coordination3.4/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.3/5
- Time Management3.3/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
- Negotiation3.0/5
- Persuasion2.9/5
- Instructing2.9/5
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.3
Investigative1.9
Artistic1.4
Socialprimary3.9
Enterprisingprimary5.5
Conventionalprimary6.4
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant: frequently asked questions
How much do Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants make?
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants earn a median of $76,590 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 50% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $36.82/hr. The middle half earn between $61,390 and $94,390. The top 10% earn $109,850 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 33.8% hold associate's degree (or other 2-year degree).
Is Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 1.6% over 2024–2034, a loss of 7,900 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 50,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant do?
Secretaries and administrative assistants do routine clerical and organizational tasks. A core O*NET task: answer phone calls and direct calls to appropriate parties or take messages. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Cloud-based data access and sharing software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants the most?
The highest state medians for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants are District of Columbia ($90,850), New Jersey ($89,520), California ($89,000) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant?
O*NET scores Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Social interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.