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The national median salary for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants is $76,586 per year ($36.82/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $61,402 and $94,390 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $109,845 per year. There are approximately 459,910 executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-1.6%
Slower than average
Annual openings
50K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
503K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
38K
$75,710
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities
NAICS 523000
33K
$80,280
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
31K
$66,300
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
29K
$83,020
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
28K
$68,990
Wage range across top 5 industries: $66,300 to $83,020 (25% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$24.31
$50,565
P25
$29.52
$61,402
P50MEDIAN
$36.82
$76,586
P75
$45.38
$94,390
P90
$52.81
$109,845
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants salary?
The national median salary for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants is $76,586 per year ($36.82/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $61,402 and $94,390 annually.
How much do top-earning executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants make?
The 90th percentile salary for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants is $109,845 per year ($52.81/hr). The 75th percentile is $94,390 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants?
Entry-level Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants (10th percentile) earn approximately $50,565 per year ($24.31/hr). The 25th percentile is $61,402 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.