An executive assistant is an upper level administrative assistant whose duties are to oversee the administrative tasks in an office. Executive assistants can work in a range of venues, from real estate offices to law firms and beyond. If you have been considering working as an administrative assistant in the future, this may be a career you achieve over time. Not everyone does well in executive assistance, but those that do can enjoy the benefits of a well-paying career. Here is an overview of the work that goes into being an executive assistant so you can determine if this is the career for you.
Education and Training for Executive Assistants
While there is no formal training required for executive assistants, most employers look for applicants with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. This is to ensure that an employee has a clear understanding of the paperwork, terminology, and software used in an office setting. You may be able to get a job without a degree by working your way up in a business. That will just take a lot longer in the end.
If you do decide to get a degree with an emphases in administrative assistance, your courses may include:
- Administrative Office Procedures
- Beginning Accounting
- Filing Techniques
- Integrated Computer Applications
- Internet Basics
- Interpersonal Communication Skills
- Keyboarding and Processing
- Management
- Mathematics for Office Professionals
- Meeting Planning
- Office Finances
- Public Administration
- Public Relations
- Records Management
- Resources and References
- Stress and Time Management
- Technologies in the Workplace
- Travel Planning
- Typing
- Using Windows
The specific courses you take will be based on the degree program you enroll in, so check with your college for more information. After you complete your degree, you will probably spend a few months working under an existing executive assistant in a place of work. Then you should have the hands-on experience you need to get a job all your own.
Executive Assistant Job Duties
The job duties of each executive assistant is different, so it is hard to say exactly what you may do if you pursue this line of work. For the most part, you will be in charge of managing other administrative assistants and workers within a business. You will likely work directly with top executives to ensure their needs are met. Executive assistants do not do as much clerical work as lower level assistants do, but they may still be in charge of answering phone calls, scheduling meetings, and communicating between customers and employers. Rather than doing this for a general office though, they focus their efforts on specific executives. That is the main distinction between executive assistants and administrative assistants.
Executive Assistant Salaries
The salary you earn as an executive assistant will be based on several factors, including location, experience, degree, and employer. The charts below reflect some of the salary ranges you may come across in the future:
Salaries by Degree
- Associate’s Degree: $32,566 – $63,973
- Bachelor of Arts in Communications: $30,572 – $59,962
- Bachelor of Arts in English: $29,755 – $67,986
- Bachelor’s Degree: $30,453 – $66,121
- Master of Business Administration: $33,693 – $67,370
Salaries by Location (10 Highest Paying Cities)
- (1) Menlo Park, California: $51,620 – $90,913
- (2) San Jose, California: $46,159 – $89,244
- (3) Santa Clara, California: $46,000 – $78,629
- (4) Stamford, Connecticut: $36,621 – $88,442
- (5) Palo Alto, California: $34,797 – $73,648
- (6) White Plains, New York: $35,874 – $83,153
- (7) San Francisco, California: $39,822 – $81,129
- (8) McLean, Virginia: $40,479 – $71,493
- (9) Princeton, New Jersey: $34,877 – $69,779
- (10) Cambridge, Massachusetts: $32,493 – $76,512
Salaries by Gender
- Male: $35,415 – $53,119
- Female: $38,474 – $56,287
Salaries by Industry
- Education: $30,417 – $60,592
- Financial Services: $32,583 – $65,741
- Healthcare: $32,394 – $65,293
- Information Technology Services: $31,429 – $65,201
- Insurance: $32,933 – $65,616
You may make more money than the amounts listed above, but that probably won’t happen until you have been in the business for 20 years or more. If you stay dedicated to your work as an executive assistant, you should have a profitable future in store.
