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Job outlook for executive assistants in the United States
Executive assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected executive assistant job growth rate is -8% from 2018-2028.
About -286,900 new jobs for executive assistants are projected over the next decade.
Executive assistant salaries have increased 13% for executive assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 304,678 executive assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 93,116 active executive assistant job openings in the US.
The average executive assistant salary is $50,539.
Are executive assistant jobs in demand?
Executive assistant job and salary trends over time
Executive assistant jobs over time
Executive assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 304,678 | 0.09% |
| 2020 | 328,166 | 0.10% |
| 2019 | 353,903 | 0.11% |
| 2018 | 372,118 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | 388,763 | 0.12% |
Average executive assistant salary over time
Executive assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $50,539 | $24.30 | +3.6% |
| 2025 | $48,761 | $23.44 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $47,520 | $22.85 | +3.4% |
| 2023 | $45,974 | $22.10 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $44,733 | $21.51 | +4.7% |
Executive assistant jobs by state
Most common states for executive assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 307 | 44% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,990 | 29% |
| 3 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 239 | 23% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,740 | 21% |
| 5 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,136 | 20% |
| 6 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,132 | 20% |
| 7 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 618 | 20% |
| 8 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,399 | 19% |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 198 | 19% |
| 10 | Delaware | 961,939 | 181 | 19% |
| 11 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 147 | 19% |
| 12 | Vermont | 623,657 | 119 | 19% |
| 13 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 303 | 18% |
| 14 | Alaska | 739,795 | 135 | 18% |
| 15 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 102 | 18% |
| 16 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 2,173 | 17% |
| 17 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,058 | 17% |
| 18 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 322 | 17% |
| 19 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,450 | 16% |
| 20 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 557 | 16% |
Most common cities for executive assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burbank | 19 | 18% | $57,115 |
| 2 | Washington | 99 | 15% | $60,864 |
| 3 | Boston | 85 | 13% | $59,114 |
| 4 | Irvine | 25 | 9% | $56,116 |
| 5 | Atlanta | 39 | 8% | $46,234 |
| 6 | Orlando | 23 | 8% | $39,551 |
| 7 | San Francisco | 65 | 7% | $64,830 |
| 8 | Miami | 32 | 7% | $40,822 |
| 9 | Seattle | 33 | 5% | $60,388 |
| 10 | Baltimore | 31 | 5% | $56,085 |
| 11 | Tampa | 20 | 5% | $39,899 |
| 12 | Austin | 35 | 4% | $44,973 |
| 13 | New York | 253 | 3% | $64,562 |
| 14 | Chicago | 71 | 3% | $51,367 |
| 15 | San Diego | 40 | 3% | $54,802 |
| 16 | Dallas | 37 | 3% | $43,689 |
| 17 | Los Angeles | 94 | 2% | $56,963 |
| 18 | Houston | 41 | 2% | $44,847 |
| 19 | Philadelphia | 19 | 1% | $52,661 |
Executive Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of executive assistant experts
Missouri University of Science & Technology
West Liberty University
Christi Patton Luks
Professor (NTT) and Associate Chair for Academic AffairsMissouri University of Science & Technology
Linda & Bipin Doshi Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Executive Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Christi Patton Luks: I think that the pandemic has proven to everyone that online education can work. I think this will increase the number of undergraduates that want to take a course or two online while they are working on internship or co-op positions and professionals returning to school virtually for additional credentials and training. Some engineering jobs have been moved to work-from-home successfully, but many still need to be on site. Flexibility will continue, however.
Dr. Darrin Cox
Professor of HistoryWest Liberty University
College of Liberal Arts
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Executive Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Darrin Cox: The need for adaptability. Companies are going to focus more on hiring people with a wide array of skills and abilities that provide them the kind of adaptability needed for the modern workspace. It's one of the reasons why I think humanities and social science degrees will be in more demand in the coming years. At their core, these degrees are about analyzing how we interact in the social world while providing specific training in critical thinking, reasoning, and writing. Basically, employers will be looking for those who are tech savvy, but less so in terms of how to operate specific applications or technology and more so in ways that they can be adapted to best suit the needs of the company.