How to hire an executive secretary

How to hire an executive secretary, step by step

Here's a step-by-step executive secretary 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 secretary job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new executive secretary
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an executive secretary do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your executive secretary 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 secretary 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

   Hiring the perfect executive secretary also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of executive secretary salaries for various roles:

   Type of Executive Secretary	Description	Hourly rate
   Executive Secretary	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$14-33
   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
   Administrative Coordinator	An Administrative Coordinator oversees the line of communication and schedules within a company, ensuring that every necessary information is delivered and conveyed. An administrative coordinator's responsibilities include responding to inquiries and requests from workforce personnel or client, managing calls and correspondence, maintaining and rotating various forms of documentation, and designing or improving systems that would help the company's operating procedures... Show more	$13-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Office Procedures
   • Payroll
   • Word Processing
   • PowerPoint
   • Financial Statements
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Expense Reports
   • Meeting Minutes
   • Telephone Calls
   • Office Equipment
   • Secretarial Support
   • Clerical Support
   • Hotel Reservations
   • Administrative Tasks

   Check all skills

   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.

   More executive secretary duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, executive secretaries' average salary in alaska is 59% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level executive secretaries 55% less than senior-level executive secretaries.
   • Certifications. An executive secretary 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 secretary's salary.

   Average executive secretary salary

   $46,594yearly

   $22.40 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level executive secretary salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 27, 2025

   Average executive secretary salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$66,893	$32
   2	New Jersey	$61,830	$30
   3	California	$60,914	$29
   4	Connecticut	$57,459	$28
   5	Massachusetts	$57,241	$28
   6	Virginia	$55,628	$27
   7	Pennsylvania	$52,535	$25
   8	Ohio	$51,379	$25
   9	Michigan	$49,685	$24
   10	Nevada	$48,990	$24
   11	Georgia	$42,549	$20
   12	Florida	$42,307	$20
   13	Colorado	$41,373	$20
   14	Texas	$41,232	$20
   15	Illinois	$39,558	$19
   16	Minnesota	$38,645	$19
   17	Missouri	$36,650	$18
   18	Iowa	$33,954	$16
   19	Utah	$33,193	$16
   20	Oklahoma	$30,565	$15

   Average executive secretary salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Infosys Public Service	$83,886	$40.33	7
   2	City of Detroit	$70,387	$33.84	3
   3	Morgan Stanley	$69,871	$33.59	32
   4	EOG Resources	$59,813	$28.76
   5	Loyola University Maryland	$58,339	$28.05
   6	Freeport-McMoRan	$57,099	$27.45
   7	Service Employees International Union Local 205	$56,426	$27.13	1
   8	City of San Antonio	$56,280	$27.06	4
   9	University of Southern California	$52,455	$25.22	14
   10	Michigan State University	$52,152	$25.07	7
   11	Roswell Park	$51,736	$24.87
   12	Delta Solutions & Strategies	$51,646	$24.83	4
   13	NJ Transit	$50,125	$24.10
   14	Kelsey-Seybold Clinic	$46,853	$22.53	1
   15	Iowa Department of Transportation	$45,746	$21.99
   16	Lehigh University	$44,757	$21.52
   17	City of Austin	$44,268	$21.28	2
   18	Broward County Public Schools	$44,229	$21.26
   19	*n/a*	$44,082	$21.19	6
   20	GENERAL BOARD OF GLOBAL MINISTRIES	$44,044	$21.18

4. Writing an executive secretary job description

   A good executive secretary job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an executive secretary job description:

   Executive secretary job description example

   Nature of Work:
   This is executive secretarial and related clerical work for an Assistant Director or a Deputy Director of a County Department or comparable executive official. Employees in this class perform a variety of complex secretarial and clerical duties for an Assistant Department Director, Deputy Department Director or comparable executive official. Emphasis of the work is on the performance of advanced secretarial duties requiring considerable knowledge of the executives responsibilities and an understanding of the policies, programs, procedures, and
   regulations in effect in the department. Duties typically include arranging for and attending conferences, independently answering inquiries where there is established policy or precedent action, taking and transcribing dictation, composing and typing correspondence and performing research to compile data for special reports and other purposes. Incumbents utilize a variety of office skills and considerable independent judgment in relieving supervisor of administrative details. Supervision may be exercised over subordinate clerical employees through assignment of tasks and review of completed work for accomplishment of desired objectives. General supervision is received from an Assistant Department Director, Deputy Department Director or comparable executive official
   who reviews work for satisfactory performance of executive secretarial duties and for attainment of desired goals and objectives.
   Illustrative Tasks:
   Performs executive secretarial duties for an Assistant Department Director, Deputy Department Director or comparable executive official; commits time in making appointments and maintains calendar; maintains itinerary
   and makes travel and hotel arrangements as required. Arranges for and attends various conferences and meetings; informs participants and provides background information; serves as recording secretary at conferences, board meetings and staff consultations; takes official minutes and prepares reports of proceedings; follows through on actions required as a result of conferences. Takes and transcribes dictation which may vary by subject matter including legal, technical, financial or other specialized terminology; takes verbatim transcript from telephone calls or in conferences as requested; operates personal computer and other computerized office equipment. Opens, screens, and distributes mail; marks important parts of instructions, orders, and regulations for executive, and organizes mail according to priorities; maintains control of correspondence flow through office; insures that report deadlines are met and that all information distributed is complete. Composes correspondence from verbal instructions of superior, and independently drafts replies to inquiries; reviews correspondence prepared by others for superiors signature to insure correct grammar, format, and completeness. Receives and screens telephone calls and visitors; responds to requests for information by answering questions where there are established policies or regulations, or precedent actions taken by supervisor. Plans, assigns, and reviews the work of subordinate clerical employees engaged in typing reports, correspondence and other documents, filing, and performing a variety of other clerical duties; provides training in procedures and methods in the organization of assignment. Researches and compiles data from a variety of sources in connection with special reports, budget preparation, and other matters; assembles material for reply to correspondence demanding superiors personal attention. Keeps various activity and production records; types various activity reports, requisitions, work orders, and personnel forms; composes reports on caseloads, workloads or other subjects as delegated; authorizes expenditures from petty cash; requisitions office supplies; performs arithmetic calculations for budget requests and other matters. Establishes and maintains office filing systems; reorganizes files as required; establishes subject matter files; purges files of unnecessary items according to established policies and procedures. Makes recommendations regarding hiring, discipline and promotion of subordinates; authorizes leave and overtime; evaluates and rates employee performance. Performs related work as required.
   
   Knowledge, Abilities and Skills:
   Extensive knowledge of executive secretarial methods, techniques, and procedures. Thorough knowledge of
   general office procedures, practices, and equipment. Thorough knowledge of the department to which assigned
   including its policies, procedures, regulations, organization, and work flow. Thorough knowledge of executive
   protocol and the proper order of etiquette in conducting secretarial activities with responsible County and other officials. Considerable knowledge of business English, spelling, and arithmetic. Considerable knowledge of the structure and function of various County departments. Considerable knowledge of the responsibilities of an Assistant Department Director, Deputy Department Director or comparable executive official, and the relationship
   with other department executives, managers, and supervisors. Knowledge of supervisory principles and practices. Ability to establish and maintain an effective working secretarial relationship with an Assistant Department Director, Deputy Department Director or comparable executive official. Ability to take and transcribe dictation at a high rate of speed. Ability to operate typewriters, personal computers, and other computerized office equipment with accuracy and speed. Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with subordinates, superiors, and a variety of County and other officials. Ability to express ideas clearly, concisely, verbally, and in writing. Ability to establish and revise office policies and procedures. Ability to research and develop information from a variety of sources. Ability to supervise subordinates in a manner conducive to full performance and high morale.
   
   #WSHMG1
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find executive secretaries 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 secretary job on Zippia to find and recruit executive secretary 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 secretaries, 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   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 secretary

   Once you've selected the best executive secretary candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new executive secretary first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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How much does it cost to hire an executive secretary?