How to become an executive secretaries and executive administrative assistant

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.

Steps to get there

Most employers expect most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree..Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

What executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants do

• Manage and maintain executives' schedules.
• Prepare invoices, reports, memos, letters, financial statements, and other documents, using word processing, spreadsheet, database, or presentation software.
• Answer phone calls and direct calls to appropriate parties or take messages.
• Prepare responses to correspondence containing routine inquiries.
• Prepare agendas and make arrangements, such as coordinating catering for luncheons, for committee, board, and other meetings.
• Perform general office duties, such as ordering supplies, maintaining records management database systems, and performing basic bookkeeping work.

Skills that matter most

• Reading Comprehension
• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Writing
• Critical Thinking
• Active Learning
• Monitoring
• Learning Strategies

Is executive secretaries and executive administrative assistant a good career?

On the numbers, this job pays above the typical job. Median pay is 50% above the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.

Where it pays most

• District of Columbia $90,850
• New Jersey $89,520
• California $89,000
• Massachusetts $82,650
• Connecticut $82,520

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants salary by state and city

Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.