Research Summary. Using a combination of public government and company data as well as data gathered from thousands of job postings, the Zippia data team has created average salary estimates for jobs across the US. Using that data set, the team has identified the types of executive assistants that are the highest paid based on their average annual salaries.
Here is a summary of our findings for the highest-paying types of executive assistants:
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Assistant To Vice President is the highest-paid type of executive assistant with an average salary of $115,560 and an average hourly rate of $55.56.
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The second highest-paying type of executive assistant is executive assistant to chief executive officer, with an average salary of $70,995.
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The average executive assistant salary is $50,539 per year, and the average hourly pay is $24.30.
Table Of Contents: Background | Table | Methodology | FAQs
Background
Choosing a career path can be difficult, and while pay shouldn’t be the only thing you consider in your decision, it is a significant factor. So if you’d like to work as an executive assistant, it helps to have an idea of what the highest-paid types of executive assistants are so that you can plan your career progression.
Here are the top salaries for different types of executive assistants:
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Assistant To Vice President
Average Salary: $115,560
An assistant to the vice president (VP) is a professional who acts as executive-level administrative support to an organization’s vice president to oversee projects. Assistants to the vice president must help organize and manage managers’ activities and clarify the strategies and business plans of the organization to them. They review the business activity and sales report from the organization’s different departments and summarize the executives’ information. Employers would also prefer their assistants to the vice president to hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
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Executive Assistant To Chief Executive Officer
Average Salary: $70,995
The primary role of executive assistants to the chief executive officer (CEO) is to provide support to the CEO. They serve as the first point of connection for both external and internal constituencies on all affairs related to the CEO. They also serve as a liaison to senior management teams and board of directors. They have varied roles and responsibilities, which include planning and coordinating the CEO’s schedule, communicating directly with board members, foundation and others, and completing important aspects of deliverables.
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Assistant Executive Director
Average Salary: $67,525
An Assistant Executive Director helps the director in planning and monitoring the progress of the department. They ensure compliance with regulations and internal policies, participate in budgeting and monitoring expenses, and create reports and submit them to the director.
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Senior Executive Assistant
Average Salary: $66,419
A senior executive assistant is responsible for handling the administrative tasks of the company on behalf of the executive management, ensuring smooth business operations to support clients’ needs and customers’ demands. Senior executive assistants manage executive appointments, respond to clients’ inquiries and concerns, sort documents, monitor business transactions, and coordinate with other employees to distribute internal communications. They also assist in scheduling press releases, media inquiries, and updating social media platforms. A senior executive assistant must be highly communicative and organizational to perform duties under strict deadlines and minimal supervision.
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Executive Assistant/Human Resources
Average Salary: $65,940
Executive Assistants/Human Resources are employees who work under the company’s executives. They manage executives’ appointments and schedules. They ensure that the calendar is updated at all times. They also provide information to meeting requestors on the availability, assist in creating presentation materials, interpret company data, and retrieve information from other departments. At times, they would even be asked to represent the executive in meetings. They may also assist in other human resources-related projects and facets.
Below is a full table of the average pay for various executive assistant that pay the most followed by a more detailed explanation of our methodology.
Highest-Paying Types Of Executive Assistants
Methodology
Zippia uses publicly published information from government sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (FLC), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to create its salary estimates.
Our data science team also checks job postings and company-published resources for additional up-to-date salary information for executive assistants.
Once they’ve gathered the data, the team calculates a weighted average for each job title they’re estimating a salary for. For more details on our salary estimates, you can read the detailed methodology.
Highest-Paying Types Of Executive Assistant Jobs FAQs
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What is the highest-paid executive assistant job?
The highest-paid executive assistant job is an assistant to vice president. Assistants To Vice President earn an average salary of $115,560, which is $ 55.56 hourly.
An assistant to the vice president (VP) is a professional who acts as executive-level administrative support to an organization’s vice president to oversee projects. Assistants to the vice president must help organize and manage managers’ activities and clarify the strategies and business plans of the organization to them. They review the business activity and sales report from the organization’s different departments and summarize the executives’ information. Employers would also prefer their assistants to the vice president to hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
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What is a good salary for an executive assistant?
A good salary for an executive assistant is $50,539 or more. The average executive assistant salary is $50,539, so those making at least $50,539 are earning above-average paychecks.
Keep in mind, however, that the average executive assistant salary does fluctuate based on location, as companies will adjust their pay scales based on the cost of living in that area. Research what the average salary is in your area for someone of your expertise and experience level to get a more accurate view on how well you’re being paid.
In addition, if you’re just starting your career as an executive assistant, the average entry level salary is $0, so don’t base your opinion of your salary on the $50,539 average, as this includes all executive assistants of all skill and experience levels.
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Do Executive Assistant jobs pay well?
Yes, executive assistant jobs pay well. As in any industry, some executive assistant jobs pay better than others, but the average executive assistant salary of $50,539 is times the average national salary of about $44,225 per year.
In addition to this, many executive assistant jobs have high earning potential, with the top 10% of executive assistants earning $0 a year on average.
Executive Assistants’ salaries will fluctuate based on their experience level, industry, and location, so pay attention to these factors when you’re looking for a job as an executive assistant. Do your research on the going rate for an executive assistant in your area with your expertise, and don’t be afraid to negotiate your salary based on that information.
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Where do executive assistants get paid the most?
Executive Assistants get paid the most in Washington. In Washington, executive assistants earn an average annual salary of $59,785 and an average hourly wage of $28.74.
Following WA, the states with the highest-paid executive assistants are Massachusetts, New Jersey, and District of Columbia, with average annual salaries of $59,185, $59,177, and $60,819 respectively.
The cities with the highest-paid executive assistant salaries are:
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San Francisco, CA – $64,830
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New York, NY – $64,562
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Washington, DC – $60,864
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Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
