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Executive secretary salary
Average executive secretary salary
$46,594
Understanding Executive Secretary Salaries
The average salary for an executive secretary in the United States is approximately $46,594 annually, equating to around $22 per hour. However, salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the industry in which one is employed.
Where Can Executive Secretaries Earn More?
Executive secretaries in states like California, New York, and Texas tend to earn higher salaries. For instance, California offers some of the most lucrative positions, with salaries often exceeding $50,000 annually. In addition, industries such as finance and healthcare are known to provide competitive salaries for executive secretaries, often including additional benefits and opportunities for advancement.
Job Opportunities and Career Growth
As businesses increasingly rely on skilled administrative professionals, the demand for executive secretaries continues to grow. Those looking to enter this field should focus on acquiring relevant skills, such as proficiency in office software and effective communication abilities. With experience, executive secretaries can transition into higher administrative roles or specialize in areas like project management or executive administration.
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Where can an Executive Secretary earn more?
Executive secretary salary estimates from across the web
Average executive secretary salary by state
The highest-paying states for executive secretaries are New York, New Jersey, and Maryland. The lowest average executive secretary salary states are Mississippi, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for executive secretaries
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $61,843 | $29.73 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $57,336 | $27.57 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $58,671 | $28.21 |
| 4 | Maryland | $60,238 | $28.96 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $55,326 | $26.60 |
| 6 | New York | $66,395 | $31.92 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $58,552 | $28.15 |
| 8 | Virginia | $53,269 | $25.61 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $52,288 | $25.14 |
| 10 | Delaware | $58,296 | $28.03 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $51,979 | $24.99 |
| 12 | Nevada | $49,048 | $23.58 |
| 13 | Washington | $46,054 | $22.14 |
| 14 | Ohio | $47,514 | $22.84 |
| 15 | Michigan | $48,963 | $23.54 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $43,648 | $20.98 |
| 17 | Illinois | $41,414 | $19.91 |
| 18 | Texas | $40,823 | $19.63 |
| 19 | California | $57,144 | $27.47 |
| 20 | Florida | $42,128 | $20.25 |
| 21 | Colorado | $41,471 | $19.94 |
| 22 | Georgia | $42,723 | $20.54 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $47,575 | $22.87 |
| 24 | Arizona | $39,869 | $19.17 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $38,454 | $18.49 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $38,893 | $18.70 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $43,010 | $20.68 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $42,008 | $20.20 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $39,043 | $18.77 |
| 30 | Vermont | $37,973 | $18.26 |
| 31 | Alabama | $38,948 | $18.73 |
| 32 | Utah | $33,514 | $16.11 |
| 33 | Indiana | $37,844 | $18.19 |
| 34 | Oregon | $40,533 | $19.49 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $36,763 | $17.67 |
| 36 | Missouri | $36,104 | $17.36 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $36,132 | $17.37 |
| 38 | Montana | $30,451 | $14.64 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $36,379 | $17.49 |
| 40 | Maine | $34,771 | $16.72 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $32,980 | $15.86 |
| 42 | Iowa | $34,306 | $16.49 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $31,332 | $15.06 |
| 44 | Idaho | $28,986 | $13.94 |
| 45 | Kansas | $30,701 | $14.76 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $29,553 | $14.21 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $30,228 | $14.53 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $30,548 | $14.69 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $30,404 | $14.62 |
| 50 | Alaska | $26,934 | $12.95 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $30,027 | $14.44 |
Highest paying cities for executive secretaries
The highest-paying cities for executive secretaries are New York, NY, New Brunswick, NJ, and San Mateo, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $66,893 | $32.16 |
| 2 | New Brunswick, NJ | $61,830 | $29.73 |
| 3 | San Mateo, CA | $60,914 | $29.29 |
| 4 | East Hartford, CT | $57,459 | $27.62 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $57,241 | $27.52 |
| 6 | Springfield, VA | $55,628 | $26.74 |
| 7 | Bethlehem, PA | $52,535 | $25.26 |
| 8 | Cleveland, OH | $51,379 | $24.70 |
| 9 | Detroit, MI | $49,685 | $23.89 |
| 10 | Las Vegas, NV | $48,990 | $23.55 |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | $42,549 | $20.46 |
| 12 | Tampa, FL | $42,307 | $20.34 |
| 13 | Denver, CO | $41,373 | $19.89 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $41,232 | $19.82 |
| 15 | Springfield, IL | $39,558 | $19.02 |
| 16 | Saint Paul, MN | $38,645 | $18.58 |
| 17 | Saint Louis, MO | $36,650 | $17.62 |
| 18 | Des Moines, IA | $33,954 | $16.32 |
| 19 | Salt Lake City, UT | $33,193 | $15.96 |
| 20 | Lawton, OK | $30,565 | $14.69 |
Executive secretary salary details
An executive secretary's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $69,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an executive secretary's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33 |
| 75th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27 |
| Average | $46,594 | $3,883 | $22 |
| 25th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
Highest paying executive secretary jobs
The highest paying types of executive secretaries are assistant to vice president, executive, and assistant secretary.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Aide | $38,714 | $3,226 | $18.61 | 96,883 |
| Administrative Coordinator | $40,599 | $3,383 | $19.52 | 70,663 |
| Administrator Secretary | $34,336 | $2,861 | $16.51 | 99,520 |
| School Secretary | $35,126 | $2,927 | $16.89 | 75,656 |
| Secretary | $36,442 | $3,037 | $17.52 | 69,315 |
| Legal Secretary | $41,725 | $3,477 | $20.06 | 13,182 |
Top companies hiring executive secretaries now:
Which companies pay executive secretaries the most?
Executive secretary salaries at InfosysPublicService and City of Detroit are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average executive secretary salary at companies like Morgan Stanley and EOG Resources are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Infosys Public Service | $83,886 | $40.33 |
| 2 | City of Detroit | $70,387 | $33.84 |
| 3 | Morgan Stanley | $69,871 | $33.59 |
| 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 |
| 8 | City of San Antonio | $56,280 | $27.06 |
| 9 | University of Southern California | $52,455 | $25.22 |
| 10 | Michigan State University | $52,152 | $25.07 |
| 11 | Roswell Park | $51,736 | $24.87 |
| 12 | Delta Solutions & Strategies | $51,646 | $24.83 |
| 13 | NJ Transit | $50,125 | $24.10 |
| 14 | Kelsey-Seybold Clinic | $46,853 | $22.53 |
| 15 | Iowa Department of Transportation | $45,746 | $21.99 |
| 16 | Lehigh University | $44,757 | $21.52 |
| 17 | City of Austin | $44,268 | $21.28 |
| 18 | Broward County Public Schools | $44,229 | $21.26 |
| 19 | *n/a* | $44,082 | $21.19 |
| 20 | GENERAL BOARD OF GLOBAL MINISTRIES | $44,044 | $21.18 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Executive Secretary salary by industry
The average executive secretary salary varies across industries:
- The average executive secretary salary in the government industry is $55,053, the highest of any industry.
- The average executive secretary salary in the finance industry is $45,599.
- Executive secretaries in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $39,044, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for executive secretaries
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $55,053 | $26.47 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $45,599 | $21.92 |
| 3 | Finance | $44,779 | $21.53 |
| 4 | Health Care | $39,549 | $19.01 |
| 5 | Hospitality | $39,044 | $18.77 |
High paying executive secretary jobs
Executive secretary salary trends
The average executive secretary salary has risen by $12,942 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average executive secretary earned $33,652 annually, but today, they earn $46,594 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for executive secretaries over the last decade.
Compare executive secretary salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average executive secretary salary over time
Compare executive secretary salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Executive secretary salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $46,600 | $22.40 | +3.5% |
| 2025 | $45,000 | $21.61 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $43,800 | $21.06 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $42,400 | $20.38 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $41,200 | $19.83 | +4.5% |
Recently added executive secretary salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Michigan | Executive Secretary E10-Economic Stability Administration | Lansing, MI | 06/28/2025 | $50,568 |
| Springfield Public Schools | Executive Secretary | Springfield, NJ | 06/27/2025 | $50,000 |
| Erie County, Pa | Executive Secretary | Erie, PA | 06/26/2025 | $26,734 |
| Cleveland Clinic | Executive Secretary | Cleveland, OH | 06/26/2025 | $43,347 |
| The Agency | Executive Secretary I | Springfield, MO | 06/25/2025 | $52,968 |
| State of Illinois | Executive Secretary I | Springfield, IL | 06/25/2025 | $52,968 |
| State of Virginia | Executive Secretary: Virginia Correctional Center for Women #00028 | Goochland, VA | 06/21/2025 | $37,495 |
| DHRM | Executive Secretary: Beaumont Correctional Center #02114 | Enon, VA | 06/21/2025 | $37,495 |
| Central Michigan University | Executive Secretary | Mount Pleasant, MI | 06/16/2025 | $33,392 |
| Naperville Community Unit School District 203 | Executive Secretary | Naperville, IL | 05/29/2025 | $47,918 |
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