Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants salary in the U.S.
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants in the U.S. earn a median of $76,590 a year ($36.82 an hour), based on BLS data for 459,910 workers.
Pay ranges from $50,560 for the lowest-paid 10% to $109,850 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $79,140, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $50,560 | $24.31 |
| 25th percentile | $61,390 | $29.52 |
| Median | $76,590 | $36.82 |
| 75th percentile | $94,390 | $45.38 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $109,850 | $52.81 |
| Average (mean) | $79,140 | $38.05 |
Half of executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $6,382.50 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $3,191.25 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $2,945.77 |
| Weekly | $1,472.88 |
| Hourly | $36.82 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $90,850 | 4,560 |
| New Jersey | $89,520 | 11,690 |
| California | $89,000 | 59,640 |
| Massachusetts | $82,650 | 14,820 |
| Connecticut | $82,520 | 6,490 |
| Hawaii | $80,710 | 1,440 |
| New York | $80,640 | 88,890 |
| Virginia | $80,330 | 10,360 |
| Washington | $79,250 | 11,560 |
| Delaware | $78,920 | 1,320 |
| Maryland | $78,540 | 13,960 |
| Minnesota | $78,470 | 7,970 |
| Rhode Island | $77,820 | 950 |
| Oregon | $75,480 | 6,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,270 | 12,910 |
| Illinois | $74,390 | 14,900 |
| New Mexico | $73,890 | 2,800 |
| Texas | $71,990 | 34,520 |
| New Hampshire | $71,650 | 1,210 |
| Arizona | $70,770 | 6,490 |
| Vermont | $70,770 | 770 |
| North Carolina | $70,140 | 8,890 |
| Ohio | $69,600 | 10,940 |
| Alabama | $69,450 | 2,880 |
| Wisconsin | $68,920 | 4,480 |
| Georgia | $68,290 | 14,560 |
| Tennessee | $68,190 | 5,360 |
| Nevada | $67,830 | 2,670 |
| Michigan | $66,840 | 9,030 |
| Alaska | $66,210 | 1,320 |
| Nebraska | $66,210 | 1,860 |
| Colorado | $65,850 | 10,340 |
| Kansas | $64,860 | 2,750 |
| Florida | $64,710 | 19,220 |
| Maine | $64,100 | 2,320 |
| West Virginia | $63,820 | 860 |
| Kentucky | $62,410 | 2,700 |
| Iowa | $62,340 | 4,150 |
| North Dakota | $61,270 | 540 |
| Utah | $61,130 | 5,440 |
| South Carolina | $60,890 | 3,880 |
| Missouri | $60,320 | 8,500 |
| Idaho | $60,200 | 1,180 |
| Oklahoma | $59,910 | 2,810 |
| Montana | $59,750 | 550 |
| Indiana | $59,080 | 5,060 |
| Virgin Islands | $56,720 | 170 |
| Mississippi | $55,670 | 1,240 |
| South Dakota | $55,170 | 1,230 |
| Louisiana | $53,240 | 9,270 |
| Wyoming | $52,210 | 560 |
| Arkansas | $51,600 | 2,070 |
| Guam | $43,930 | 80 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,120 | 7,100 |
Best-paying metro areas for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $106,220 | 5,300 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $105,190 | 11,250 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $100,930 | 1,710 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $92,240 | 490 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $90,320 | 12,960 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $87,910 | 3,530 |
| Vallejo, CA | $86,190 | 230 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $85,260 | 11,290 |
| Napa, CA | $84,640 | 180 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $84,540 | 4,510 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $84,330 | 160 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $84,090 | 260 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $83,840 | 76,950 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82,850 | 20,850 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $82,740 | 460 |
Metro areas with the most executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 76,950 | $83,840 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 20,850 | $82,850 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 12,960 | $90,320 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 11,290 | $85,260 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 11,250 | $105,190 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 10,620 | $77,770 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 10,060 | $72,090 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 8,560 | $69,600 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 8,290 | $80,230 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 8,260 | $78,380 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 7,390 | $74,850 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 7,370 | $80,860 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 7,150 | $79,490 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 6,150 | $80,030 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | 6,090 | $37,170 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $47,540 | $22.86 |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | $45,930 | $22.08 |
| Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | $55,570 | $26.72 |
| Customer Service Representative | $44,770 | $21.53 |
| Office Clerks, General | $45,010 | $21.64 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $69,500 | $33.41 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $50,670 | $24.36 |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | $38,010 | $18.27 |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | $45,260 | $21.76 |
| Billing and Posting Clerks | $48,500 | $23.32 |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | $59,650 | $28.68 |
| Teller | $43,030 | $20.69 |
| Postal Service Mail Carrier | $60,550 | $29.11 |
| Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks | $35,070 | $16.86 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 43-6011. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants make in the U.S.?
The median salary for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in the U.S. is $76,590 a year, or $36.82 an hour. Pay ranges from $50,560 for the lowest-paid 10% to $109,850 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in the U.S. earn at least $109,850 a year. The top 25% earn $94,390 or more.
What is the starting pay for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $50,560 a year, and a quarter of executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants earn $61,390 or less.
How many executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants work in the U.S.?
About 459,910 executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.