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Corporate & Professional Services
Microsoft, Accenture, Deloitte
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
This job keeps a senior leader's schedule, communications, and meetings from falling apart. The work is distinct because it mixes polished communication with constant coordination, often behind the scenes and often under tight deadlines. The tradeoff is that you can learn a lot about how a business runs, but the role can be interrupt-driven and limited if you only do routine support work.
Also known as Executive AssistantExecutive Administrative AssistantSenior Executive AssistantPersonal AssistantAdministrative Assistant to Executive Leadership
Median Salary
$74,260
Mean $77,060
U.S. Workforce
~473K
50K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-1.6%
502.8K to 494.9K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ Less than 5 years experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants sits in the Business category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~473K workers, with a median annual pay of $74,260 and roughly 50K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 502.8 K in 2024 to 494.9K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Associate's degree in business, office administration, or a related field, and employers typically expect less than 5 years of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Administrative Assistant and can progress toward Chief of Staff. High-value skills usually include Microsoft Outlook, Calendar & Email Management, Microsoft Excel, Word & PowerPoint, and Zoom, Microsoft Teams & Video Conferencing, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, and Speaking.
Core Responsibilities
- Answer and route incoming calls, or take messages when the right person is unavailable.
- Keep an executive's calendar organized, including meetings, deadlines, and travel plans.
- Take notes during meetings and turn them into clear minutes or follow-up items.
- Write emails, memos, letters, reports, and spreadsheets for the executive or team.
Keep exploring: more Business careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Answer and route incoming calls, or take messages when the right person is unavailable.
02 Keep an executive's calendar organized, including meetings, deadlines, and travel plans.
03 Take notes during meetings and turn them into clear minutes or follow-up items.
04 Write emails, memos, letters, reports, and spreadsheets for the executive or team.
05 Set up meetings and events by preparing agendas, booking space, and arranging food or materials.
06 Handle routine office tasks like filing records, tracking supplies, basic bookkeeping, and helping other departments when needed.
Industries That Hire
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Finance & Banking
JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley
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Healthcare Systems
Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente
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Legal Services
Latham & Watkins, Skadden, Kirkland & Ellis
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Government & Public Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce, State of California, City of New York
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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Pay is solid for an administrative role, with a median annual salary of $74,260 and a mean of $77,060.
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There are about 50,000 annual openings, so people do get hired and replaced regularly.
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The entry barrier is relatively low: BLS lists a high school diploma as typical, less than 5 years of experience, and no on-the-job training.
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The skills you build transfer across industries, including scheduling, document prep, records management, and meeting coordination.
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You often work close to senior decision-makers, which can teach you how organizations actually operate.
Challenges
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Employment is projected to slip 1.6% by 2034, from 502.8K jobs to 494.9K, so this is not a growth-heavy field.
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Routine work like drafting standard documents, filing, and scheduling is vulnerable to automation and AI tools.
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The role can have a career ceiling if you stay in pure admin support instead of moving into operations or management.
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The job is interruption-heavy because other people's priorities, calendars, and emergencies drive your day.
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It can be stressful to protect confidentiality while juggling requests from executives, staff, and outside contacts.
Career Progression
Administrative Assistant
0-2 years
$38K-$50K
Handles basic scheduling, filing, phones, and document prep for a team or department.
Executive Administrative Assistant
2-5 years
$68K-$82K
Supports one or more senior leaders with calendars, correspondence, meeting prep, and confidential admin work.
Senior Executive Assistant THIS ROLE
5-8 years
$83K-$100K
Manages more complex schedules, travel, project follow-up, and cross-team coordination for high-level leaders.
Executive Operations Manager
8-12 years
$101K-$125K
Oversees administrative processes, supervises support staff, and improves how leadership operations run.
Chief of Staff
12+ years
$126K-$165K
Coordinates priorities across the organization and helps senior leadership turn plans into action.
Education Paths
Associate's degree in business, office administration, or a related field
The most common O*NET pathway, held by 33.77% of workers in this role, and a practical way to build office software and coordination skills.
High school diploma or equivalent
A common entry route, reported by 24.2% of workers, and also the BLS typical minimum for getting started.
Some college courses
A useful alternative for people who already have office experience; 20.91% of workers report this level.
Bachelor's degree
A less common path, but still relevant for larger organizations and advancement, with 11.87% of workers reporting this level.
Key Skills
Technical
Microsoft Outlook, Calendar & Email Management 84%
Microsoft Excel, Word & PowerPoint 82%
Zoom, Microsoft Teams & Video Conferencing 78%
SharePoint, Google Drive & Document Management Systems 76%
Records Management & Basic Bookkeeping Software 72%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningReading ComprehensionSpeakingService OrientationWritingCoordination Job Outlook and Trends
+-1.6%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
50K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 502.8K to 494.9 K over the next decade, representing -1.6% growth. Around 50 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Moderate. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.