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What is an executive/personal assistant and how to become one
Do you see assistants walking behind your favorite celebrities and moguls all the time? Well, it's a profession that has gained tremendous momentum in recent years, and for all the right reasons. Although being an Executive/Personal Assistant seems like a tough job, it comes with many perks, like earning about $33.68 an hour.
Executive/Personal Assistants are behind the scenes workforce that enable executives to perform their duties flawlessly. As one, you will be in charge of doing everything senior executives don't have the time to do, like performing basic administrative tasks, organizing events, extracting meaningful information, etc. You will also be maintaining files, answering calls, doing small jobs like picking supplies, and much more. There will never be a dull moment!
While this position requires superior communication and organizational skills, you still need appropriate education. Around 51.7% of executive/personal assistants carry a bachelor's degree, but many only graduate high school. Being an executive/personal assistant isn't for the faint of heart but surely packs a punch.
Avg. Salary $64,511
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate -8%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.40%
Asian 5.00%
Black or African American 7.62%
Hispanic or Latino 11.22%
Unknown 4.80%
White 70.97%
Genderfemale 84.46%
male 15.54%
Age - 51American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 51Stress level is moderate
7.1 - high
Complexity level is intermediate
7 - challenging
Work life balance is good
6.4 - fair
Executive/personal assistant career paths
Key steps to become an executive/personal assistant
Explore executive/personal assistant education requirements
Start to develop specific executive/personal assistant skills
Skills Percentages Financial Statements 8.38% PowerPoint 7.13% Calendar Management 6.99% Event Planning 6.83% Real Estate 6.53% Complete relevant executive/personal assistant training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New executive/personal assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an executive/personal assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real executive/personal assistant resumes.Research executive/personal assistant duties and responsibilities
- Manage the rabbi's blog and twitter accounts and keep him apprise of pertinent items on Facebook.
- Manage administrative support for CEO and SVP; conduct market research, compile, analyze and report on variety of data.
- Manage payroll and benefits, credit card reconciliation and travel reimbursements
- Compile, manage and organize travel and expense reports processing and submitting reports using PeopleSoft for reimbursement.
Get executive/personal assistant experience
Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become an executive/personal assistant. The most common roles before becoming an executive/personal assistant include executive assistant, administrative assistant team lead and personal assistant.Prepare your executive/personal assistant resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your executive/personal assistant resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an executive/personal assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable executive/personal assistant resume templates
Build a professional executive/personal assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your executive/personal assistant resume.
Apply for executive/personal assistant jobs
Now it's time to start searching for an executive/personal assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first executive/personal assistant job
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Average executive/personal assistant salary
The average executive/personal assistant salary in the United States is $64,511 per year or $31 per hour. Executive/personal assistant salaries range between $44,000 and $92,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do executive/personal assistants rate their job?
Executive/personal assistant reviews
Depending on the org & boss, can be a nice variety & challenges
Depending on the org & boss, position can become stale & boxed in
They just have to give information to others as Phone calls or through other ways
Working on special projects and data collection for division chief medical officer
Scheduling meetings
Updated January 8, 2025
