Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Salary: $74,260 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 472,770 executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants work nationally, and $74,260 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 5% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 7.6% annual decline.
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants: what the data shows
Common questions about executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants?
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 43-6011.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 472,770 workers.
What does a executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Performing Administrative Activities, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants make?
BLS national median annual wage: $74,260 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $92,847 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $60,189 |
| 25th percentile | $73,019 |
| Median (50th) | $86,616 |
| 75th percentile | $106,168 |
| 90th percentile | $131,543 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Service Orientation, Coordination, and knowledge areas including Administrative, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Computers and Electronics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 7.6% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -32.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -54.5%.
Current U.S. headcount: 472,770.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do executive secretaries and executive administrative assistantss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 472,770 | 17.4% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 356,800 | 13.2% |
| Educational Services | 138,890 | 5.1% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 115,970 | 4.3% |
| Educational Services | 69,440 | 2.6% |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 67,860 | 2.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School | 104,450 | $63,910 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors | 342,350 | $65,140 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,737,820 | $46,290 |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School | 14,200 | $63,620 |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary | 111,150 | $61,490 |
| Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 154,540 | $54,140 |
| Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | 16,230 | $115,230 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants workforce.
Employment Over Time
472,770 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants shrank from 875,340 in 2009 to 248,680 in 2025 (71.6%).
Historical employment for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$74,260 Median pay (BLS national)
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants earn $74,260 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Salary distribution for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Employment Growth Projections
-7.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
167,821 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -32.5%
113,254 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -54.5%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Wage Trends by Industry
4.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- NY: 88,830 employees, $86,000 avg wage
- CA: 63,250 employees, $90,890 avg wage
- TX: 35,090 employees, $72,190 avg wage
- FL: 19,950 employees, $69,770 avg wage
- MA: 16,630 employees, $83,220 avg wage
- MD: 15,940 employees, $77,830 avg wage
- IL: 13,490 employees, $77,080 avg wage
- NJ: 12,850 employees, $85,330 avg wage
- GA: 12,710 employees, $71,930 avg wage
- PA: 11,870 employees, $71,720 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 79,590 employees, $88,610 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 22,660 employees, $85,640 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 12,790 employees, $85,800 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 12,610 employees, $86,070 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 11,920 employees, $104,170 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 9,510 employees, $81,060 avg wage
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: 9,260 employees, $78,500 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 8,960 employees, $78,020 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 8,610 employees, $75,660 avg wage
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: 8,530 employees, $69,780 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Diversity
Demographic information on Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants is about 472,770 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants workers.
Education level distribution for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Skills
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Service Orientation.
Required skills for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants include Administrative, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Computers and Electronics, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants include Written Expression, Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Speech Recognition.
Required abilities for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
Daily Activities
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants spend their time on activities such as Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Communicating with People Outside the Organization.
Most important work activities for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants.
About
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants earn $74,260 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
43-6011 - Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants reports an average salary of $92,847.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 472,770 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -7.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.