Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $50,560 | $24.31 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $76,590 | $36.82 |
| Mean (average) | $79,140 | $38.05 |
| 90th percentile | $109,850 | $52.81 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $69,450 | $46,800 | $100,620 | 2,880 | 0.46 |
| Alaska | $66,210 | $50,290 | $92,610 | 1,320 | 1.37 |
| Arizona | $70,770 | $50,710 | $103,080 | 6,490 | 0.68 |
| Arkansas | $51,600 | $37,830 | $82,110 | 2,070 | 0.54 |
| California | $89,000 | $58,060 | $130,510 | 59,640 | 1.11 |
| Colorado | $65,850 | $49,850 | $100,290 | 10,340 | 1.22 |
| Connecticut | $82,520 | $61,880 | $119,030 | 6,490 | 1.29 |
| Delaware | $78,920 | $53,940 | $100,130 | 1,320 | 0.92 |
| District of Columbia | $90,850 | $64,890 | $121,000 | 4,560 | 2.2 |
| Florida | $64,710 | $42,830 | $99,220 | 19,220 | 0.65 |
| Georgia | $68,290 | $51,840 | $99,540 | 14,560 | 1.01 |
| Guam | $43,930 | $33,280 | $81,400 | 80 | 0.43 |
| Hawaii | $80,710 | $52,100 | $117,020 | 1,440 | 0.77 |
| Idaho | $60,200 | $45,760 | $105,230 | 1,180 | 0.46 |
| Illinois | $74,390 | $50,750 | $104,850 | 14,900 | 0.83 |
| Indiana | $59,080 | $41,930 | $92,280 | 5,060 | 0.53 |
| Iowa | $62,340 | $45,230 | $83,600 | 4,150 | 0.9 |
| Kansas | $64,860 | $48,160 | $90,970 | 2,750 | 0.65 |
| Kentucky | $62,410 | $44,800 | $92,740 | 2,700 | 0.46 |
| Louisiana | $53,240 | $35,800 | $79,600 | 9,270 | 1.62 |
| Maine | $64,100 | $49,850 | $88,160 | 2,320 | 1.22 |
| Maryland | $78,540 | $54,430 | $108,480 | 13,960 | 1.71 |
| Massachusetts | $82,650 | $59,320 | $123,930 | 14,820 | 1.38 |
| Michigan | $66,840 | $47,810 | $99,400 | 9,030 | 0.69 |
| Minnesota | $78,470 | $58,870 | $101,760 | 7,970 | 0.91 |
| Mississippi | $55,670 | $37,810 | $82,380 | 1,240 | 0.36 |
| Missouri | $60,320 | $42,340 | $95,030 | 8,500 | 0.98 |
| Montana | $59,750 | $48,830 | $80,080 | 550 | 0.36 |
| Nebraska | $66,210 | $48,570 | $94,690 | 1,860 | 0.61 |
| Nevada | $67,830 | $36,630 | $100,450 | 2,670 | 0.58 |
| New Hampshire | $71,650 | $50,000 | $101,860 | 1,210 | 0.6 |
| New Jersey | $89,520 | $60,000 | $119,990 | 11,690 | 0.92 |
| New Mexico | $73,890 | $52,000 | $92,710 | 2,800 | 1.09 |
| New York | $80,640 | $61,420 | $122,440 | 88,890 | 3.1 |
| North Carolina | $70,140 | $49,720 | $99,710 | 8,890 | 0.61 |
| North Dakota | $61,270 | $46,350 | $86,170 | 540 | 0.42 |
| Ohio | $69,600 | $47,480 | $99,330 | 10,940 | 0.67 |
| Oklahoma | $59,910 | $41,760 | $86,560 | 2,810 | 0.56 |
| Oregon | $75,480 | $56,470 | $102,000 | 6,000 | 1.03 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,270 | $48,920 | $102,690 | 12,910 | 0.72 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,120 | $27,060 | $52,660 | 7,100 | 2.56 |
| Rhode Island | $77,820 | $47,310 | $97,960 | 950 | 0.64 |
| South Carolina | $60,890 | $42,600 | $92,370 | 3,880 | 0.57 |
| South Dakota | $55,170 | $42,930 | $70,110 | 1,230 | 0.91 |
| Tennessee | $68,190 | $45,580 | $98,100 | 5,360 | 0.55 |
| Texas | $71,990 | $50,740 | $103,080 | 34,520 | 0.83 |
| Utah | $61,130 | $40,410 | $91,580 | 5,440 | 1.06 |
| Vermont | $70,770 | $54,770 | $96,520 | 770 | 0.85 |
| Virgin Islands | $56,720 | $33,860 | $74,990 | 170 | 1.81 |
| Virginia | $80,330 | $51,370 | $119,990 | 10,360 | 0.85 |
| Washington | $79,250 | $59,810 | $106,720 | 11,560 | 1.1 |
| West Virginia | $63,820 | $40,670 | $95,090 | 860 | 0.41 |
| Wisconsin | $68,920 | $51,250 | $93,190 | 4,480 | 0.51 |
| Wyoming | $52,210 | $47,060 | $73,730 | 560 | 0.67 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 43,300. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.7%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General CIP 52.0401
- Executive Assistant/Executive Secretary CIP 52.0402
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Manage and maintain executives' schedules.
- 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.
Technology skills
- Google Workspace software (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Microsoft SharePoint (in demand)
- Microsoft Word (in demand)
- SAP Concur (in demand)
- Zoom (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Cisco Webex (hot technology)
- Facebook (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Service Orientation, Coordination, Social Perceptiveness, Time Management, Judgment and Decision Making, Negotiation.
Common job titles: Administrative Aide, Administrative Assistant, Administrative Associate, Administrative Coordinator, Administrative Secretary, Administrative Specialist, Executive Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant, Executive Secretary, Office Assistant.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants make?
The national median annual wage for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants was $76,590 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $50,560 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $109,850. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with less than 5 years of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants a growing career?
BLS projects employment of executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants to change 0.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 43,300 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($90,850), New Jersey ($89,520), California ($89,000). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.