How to hire an executive administrator

How to hire an executive administrator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step executive administrator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an executive administrator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new executive administrator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an executive administrator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your executive administrator job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an executive administrator for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An executive administrator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, executive administrators from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents executive administrator salaries for various positions.

   Type of Executive Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Executive Administrator	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$16-37
   Administrative Aide	An administrative aide performs daily administrative support tasks in an office, helping to keep the workflow smooth and efficient. Their duties typically include organizing and disseminating documents, answering calls and correspondence, forwarding messages, greeting visitors and answering inquiries, and preparing and processing files... Show more	$14-23
   Administrator Secretary	Administrator secretaries are assistants to managers or higher officers in charge of administrative tasks. Their responsibilities include liaising with an organization's internal departments and in communicating with the general public... Show more	$12-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PowerPoint
   • Customer Service
   • Expense Reports
   • Office Procedures
   • Payroll
   • Data Entry
   • Financial Statements
   • Calendar Management
   • Human Resources
   • Office Equipment
   • Conference Calls
   • Purchase Orders
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Event Planning

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage grant funding from NIH, HRSA, and private foundations.
   • Manage on-site nursing services deliver to patients; oversee billing and supervise on-site personnel.
   • Manage day-to-day human resource functions: maintain HRIS database, conduct new employee orientation, and benefits administration.
   • Manage 200 staff personnel (145 FTE's), consisting of 15 classifications, two unions and exempt personnel.
   • Develop twitter marketing landing pages, manage and maintain social marketing sites, blogs, and constant contact marketing efforts.
   • Achieve JCAHO accreditation for ambulatory care facilities.

   More executive administrator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your executive administrator job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An executive administrator can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, executive administrators' average salary in louisiana is 52% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level executive administrators 55% less than senior-level executive administrators.
   • Certifications. An executive administrator with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an executive administrator's salary.

   Average executive administrator salary

   $52,855yearly

   $25.41 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level executive administrator salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average executive administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$68,455	$33
   2	New York	$68,120	$33
   3	Massachusetts	$63,230	$30
   4	District of Columbia	$62,897	$30
   5	New Jersey	$58,737	$28
   6	California	$58,707	$28
   7	Pennsylvania	$58,520	$28
   8	Hawaii	$56,976	$27
   9	Maryland	$55,779	$27
   10	Illinois	$53,562	$26
   11	North Carolina	$52,342	$25
   12	Virginia	$51,733	$25
   13	Georgia	$49,421	$24
   14	Michigan	$48,195	$23
   15	Colorado	$47,470	$23
   16	Minnesota	$45,986	$22
   17	Tennessee	$45,117	$22
   18	Arizona	$44,368	$21
   19	Indiana	$43,631	$21
   20	Kentucky	$43,417	$21

   Average executive administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$90,635	$43.57	395
   2	Meta	$76,938	$36.99	20
   3	Microsoft	$75,434	$36.27	37
   4	Corning Incorporated	$75,110	$36.11	5
   5	Visa	$71,173	$34.22	10
   6	General Communication	$68,189	$32.78	2
   7	Xcel Energy	$67,374	$32.39	7
   8	Houlihan Lokey	$66,685	$32.06	1
   9	First Commerce Credit Union	$66,433	$31.94	2
   10	Morgan Stanley	$66,052	$31.76	30
   11	Credit Suisse	$65,287	$31.39
   12	VMware	$64,730	$31.12
   13	Intel	$63,095	$30.33
   14	Wells Fargo	$63,090	$30.33	20
   15	Autodesk	$62,668	$30.13	25
   16	First Book	$62,172	$29.89
   17	Emerson College	$61,289	$29.47
   18	Sunrise Systems	$61,077	$29.36	1
   19	Pinnacle Technical Resources	$60,468	$29.07	5
   20	Nanoracks	$59,631	$28.67

4. Writing an executive administrator job description

   An executive administrator job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an executive administrator job description:

   Executive administrator job description example

   The Executive Administrator role reports and provides direct assistance to the Senior Vice President of Global Corporate and North America Communications, supports the Vice President of Global Employee and Executive Communications, and will be delegated administrative duties for the Chief Communications Officer. Responsibilities include administrative support (calendaring, processing expenses, coordinating travel), event planning, and operational support. The role is based in Visa's New York office.
   
   This is an ideal position for an individual with an administrative and planning background, looking to develop their capabilities, working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
   Job Scope
   This is an individual contributor role with a primary focus on executive support, while also responsible for the ownership and execution of specific tasks. It is at a developing professional level and receives a moderate level of guidance and supervision.
   
   Administrative Responsibilities
   
   Calendar Management: Assist in the management of the senior executive's calendar including scheduling meetings, setting up conference calls and arranging travel.
   
   Logistical Coordination: Plan and manage logistics related to executive travel and executive/team meetings and events (onsite and offsite).
   
   Activity Reporting: Create and maintain weekly/monthly/quarterly department reports that document team activities. Support ongoing communication with network of global communications partners, including compiling agendas and drafting recaps.
   
   Expense Management: Process expense reports on behalf of the executive and broader department.
   
   Governance Maintenance: Maintain communications processes, distribution lists, assets library and message archives in accordance with records management requirements
   
   Liaison: Communicate with a broad range of Visa professionals on behalf of the department. Partner and coordinate workload with other administrative team members and provide backup support.
   
   Assist with developing and updating PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets and other related materials as needed.
   
   This is a hybrid position. Hybrid employees can alternate time between both remote and office. Employees in hybrid roles are expected to work from the office two days a week, with a general guidepost of being in the office 50% of the time based on business needs.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find executive administrators for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your executive administrator job on Zippia to find and recruit executive administrator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit executive administrators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new executive administrator

   Once you've found the executive administrator candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new executive administrator. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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