Executive secretary vs executive administrator

The differences between executive secretaries and executive administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an executive secretary and an executive administrator. Additionally, an executive administrator has an average salary of $52,855, which is higher than the $46,594 average annual salary of an executive secretary.

The top three skills for an executive secretary include office procedures, payroll and word processing. The most important skills for an executive administrator are powerpoint, customer service, and expense reports.

Executive secretary vs executive administrator overview

	Executive Secretary	Executive Administrator
Yearly salary	$46,594	$52,855
Hourly rate	$22.40	$25.41
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	103,802	141,235
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	4	4

What does an executive secretary do?

The primary role of executive secretaries is to provide clerical support to an executive or a high-level administrator. They are the ones who conduct the different administrative support tasks for executives which include managing the calendar of executives, answering phone calls, conducting research and sorting important files, preparing and proofreading monthly reports and industry documents that are relevant to the role of executives, and performing some bookkeeping activities such as invoice creation and office inventory tracking.

What does an executive administrator do?

An executive administrator is responsible for assisting the senior management staff in planning strategies and analyzing business decisions to achieve the company's goals and objectives. Executive administrators schedule meetings and handle appointments, as well as helping with the implementation of training and programs for the employees to reach their maximum operational potential and increase productivity to meet projects' demands and ensure the highest customer satisfaction. They must have exceptional time-management and organizational skills, especially on performing administrative and clerical duties as needed, as well as excellent communication skills to respond to clients' inquiries, concerns, and requests.

Executive secretary vs executive administrator salary

Executive secretaries and executive administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Executive Secretary	Executive Administrator
Average salary	$46,594	$52,855
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $69,000	Between $35,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	InfosysPublicService	JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Best paying industry	Government	Technology

Differences between executive secretary and executive administrator education

There are a few differences between an executive secretary and an executive administrator in terms of educational background:

	Executive Secretary	Executive Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Executive secretary vs executive administrator demographics

Here are the differences between executive secretaries' and executive administrators' demographics:

	Executive Secretary	Executive Administrator
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 7.7% Female, 92.3%	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between executive secretary and executive administrator duties and responsibilities

Executive secretary example responsibilities.

Manage specific projects from start to finish as required by the SVP.
Manage high volume of requests and correspondence from executives and colleagues, pharmaceutical representatives, patients and outside physicians.
Assist in daily typing of correspondence to agencies regarding Medicare and Medicaid contracts.
Maintain all the student records in PowerSchool and generate report cards with accuracy.
Maintain all departmental information, including transcription of meeting minutes and all audit and payroll documentation.
Input miss time punch and vacation/sick time in KRONOS for employees.

Executive administrator example 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.

Executive secretary vs executive administrator skills

Common executive secretary skills

Office Procedures, 9%
Payroll, 9%
Word Processing, 8%
PowerPoint, 8%
Financial Statements, 6%
Scheduling Appointments, 5%

Common executive administrator skills

PowerPoint, 10%
Customer Service, 9%
Expense Reports, 7%
Office Procedures, 6%
Payroll, 5%
Data Entry, 5%

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Executive Secretary
Executive Secretary vs Executive Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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