Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants: Job Description
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.
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What Tasks Do Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants cover:
- 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.
What Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Need to Know
Successful executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Administrative Aide
- Administrative Assistant
- Administrative Associate
- Administrative Coordinator
- Administrative Liaison
- Administrative Office Assistant
- Administrative Office Specialist
- Administrative Officer
Employment and Demand
There are about 826,057 executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +1.2% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $59,046 |
| Hourly median | $28.39 |
| 10th percentile | $40,074 |
| 25th percentile | $49,560 |
| 75th percentile | $68,532 |
| 90th percentile | $78,018 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $85,520 |
| California | $84,790 |
| New Jersey | $83,740 |
| Connecticut | $80,510 |
| New York | $80,490 |
| Massachusetts | $79,360 |
| Delaware | $78,480 |
| Washington | $78,140 |
| Virginia | $77,640 |
| Hawaii | $77,510 |
| Minnesota | $76,850 |
| Maryland | $75,760 |
| Illinois | $74,410 |
| New Mexico | $71,930 |
| Oregon | $70,300 |
| Pennsylvania | $69,890 |
| New Hampshire | $69,850 |
| Texas | $69,580 |
| Rhode Island | $69,380 |
| Alabama | $68,310 |
| Georgia | $67,990 |
| Arizona | $67,930 |
| Vermont | $67,450 |
| Ohio | $66,270 |
| Wisconsin | $66,260 |
| North Carolina | $66,000 |
| Tennessee | $65,660 |
| Michigan | $65,400 |
| Florida | $65,350 |
| Colorado | $64,620 |
| Nevada | $64,170 |
| Nebraska | $64,110 |
| Kansas | $63,930 |
| Alaska | $63,710 |
| Maine | $61,460 |
| South Carolina | $60,650 |
| North Dakota | $60,170 |
| Montana | $60,050 |
| Iowa | $59,440 |
| Idaho | $59,100 |
| Kentucky | $58,990 |
| Indiana | $58,330 |
| West Virginia | $57,310 |
| Missouri | $56,940 |
| Oklahoma | $56,680 |
| Virgin Islands | $56,640 |
| Utah | $55,900 |
| Mississippi | $54,090 |
| Arkansas | $52,680 |
| Wyoming | $51,540 |
| South Dakota | $50,340 |
| Louisiana | $49,310 |
| Guam | $48,160 |
| Puerto Rico | $35,340 |
Where Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Earn the Most
Compensation for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $81,746 | 17.8% | 1.10 |
| Middle Atlantic | $79,465 | 28.2% | 2.45 |
| New England | $76,815 | 6.1% | 1.35 |
| Southwest | $68,631 | 10.0% | 0.82 |
| Great Lakes | $67,649 | 9.0% | 0.65 |
| Southeast | $64,214 | 17.1% | 0.82 |
| Plains States | $63,635 | 6.1% | 0.92 |
| Rocky Mountains | $60,660 | 4.0% | 1.13 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $104,010 | 6,110 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $101,130 | 11,920 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $97,340 | 1,640 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $84,210 | 520 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $83,740 | 130 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $83,430 | 310 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $83,270 | 79,590 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $83,130 | 12,610 |
Which Industries Hire Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
Most executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 69,440 | $66,380 |
| Finance and Insurance | 58,370 | $80,050 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 58,090 | $79,850 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 51,690 | $66,840 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 29,520 | $81,820 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 20,460 | $75,410 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 19,870 | $72,040 |
| Construction | 18,490 | $74,030 |
Below are examples of industries where executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants work:
Software Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Use
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Video conferencing software: Cisco Webex (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Google Workspace software (hot technology)
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Education and Training
Typical executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants positions require an associate’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Human Resources Specialists (Supplemental)
- Project Management Specialists (Supplemental)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Social Science Research Assistants (Supplemental)
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants (Primary-Long)
- Public Relations Specialists (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants often complete programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
2 programs across 1 majors
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-6011.00 (Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants).
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