How long does it take to become a Senior Administrative Assistant?

It takes 7 years of professional experience to become a senior administrative assistant. That is the time it takes to learn specific senior administrative assistant skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 10 to 12 years years to become a senior administrative assistant.

How do you get promoted as an administrative assistant?

You get promoted as an administrative assistant if you have a lot of experience, are professionally certified for certain job-specific tasks, or have obtained a college degree from an accredited school.

How long does it take to become an administrative assistant?

It takes two years of experience to become an administrative assistant. Entry-level administrative assistants should have at least a high school diploma or its equivalent. However, many positions prefer a minimum of an associate's degree in business, communications, or other similar programs.

What is senior administrative experience?

Senior administrative experience includes task management, communications duties, general planning, and minor to moderate project management. Senior administrative assistants may also tend to executives as well as the general office or administrative staff.

What is the highest level of administrative assistant?

The highest level of a senior administrative assistant is a senior executive assistant. Senior executive assistants can progress to become a part of the executive team, but that responsibility tends to lead outside the assistant role.

What qualifications does an administrative assistant need?

Administrative assistant qualifications include: Process management skills Analysis and comprehension skills Administrative writing capabilities GED or high school diploma at minimum Computer maneuverability Office software adequacy Deep communicative skills Flexibility Prompt professionalism

What is a senior administrative assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

A senior administrative assistant provides high-level administrative support to executives and managers. They are responsible for managing calendars, meetings, organizing travel, and handling confidential information. A senior administrative assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills. They must be able to multitask and work under pressure in a fast-paced environment. A senior administrative assistant's primary goal is to ensure the smooth operation of their department or organization.

What general advice would you give to a Senior Administrative Assistant?

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

Professor, West Virginia State University

I would say it's important to be very attentive to the way you communicate with your employers, managers, and co-workers. Even sending an e-mail can be an opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism and communication skills. Some people think that no one knows how to write anymore, or how to communicate in a professional way. I don't think that's true. But we don't always think about how our writing can be a tool to communicate our competence and seriousness. If you know how to write and communicate professionally-which college grads do-then make sure to demonstrate that in the workplace.

ScoreSenior Administrative AssistantUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $46,790

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

3.6

Growth Rate -8%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.8

Race

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%

Gender

female 92.00%

male 8.00%

Age - 51

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 51

Stress Level

3.6

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

5.7

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.9

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Senior Administrative Assistant?

Pros

Competitive salary
Exposure to upper management
Ability to develop a diverse skillset
Job stability
High demand for experienced administrative assistants

Cons

High workload and long hours
Lack of recognition or appreciation for work done
Constantly shifting priorities and demands
Dealing with difficult or demanding personalities
Repetitive tasks can be mundane and tedious

Newest jobs for Senior Administrative Assistant in Ashburn, VA

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Key steps to become a senior administrative assistant

Explore senior administrative assistant education requirements

Most common senior administrative assistant degrees

Bachelor's

50.9 %

Associate

27.3 %

High School Diploma

9.1 %

Start to develop specific senior administrative assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
PowerPoint	11.96%
Customer Service	5.81%
Clerical Support	4.82%
Patients	3.58%
Provides Administrative Support	3.53%

Complete relevant senior administrative assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior administrative 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 a senior administrative assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior administrative assistant resumes.

Research senior administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Create and manage RFP and proposal processes for various projects.
Manage branches fiscal transactions including A/P, A/R, payroll, petty cash, safeguard reconciliation, and corporate reporting.
Coordinate calendars, schedule meetings and manage associated logistics including domestic/international travel.
Scheduled/Coordinate enterprise-wide WebEx conferences, facilitate team meetings, and manage executive schedules and itineraries.

Get senior administrative assistant experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a senior administrative assistant. The most common roles before becoming a senior administrative assistant include administrative assistant, executive assistant team lead and office manager.

Prepare your senior administrative assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior administrative 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 a senior administrative 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 Senior Administrative Assistant Resume templates

Build a professional Senior Administrative 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 Senior Administrative Assistant resume.

Apply for senior administrative assistant jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a senior administrative 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

Average senior administrative assistant salary

The average Senior Administrative Assistant salary in the United States is $46,790 per year or $23 per hour. Senior administrative assistant salaries range between $34,000 and $62,000 per year.

Average Senior Administrative Assistant Salary

$46,790 Yearly

$22.50 hourly

How do senior administrative assistants rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Senior Administrative Assistant reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2024

Pros

Depending on the org & boss, can be a nice variety & challenges

Cons

Depending on the org & boss, position can become stale & boxed in

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2022

Pros

Writing a message,Organizing receipts and expenses and sending them out when needed

Cons

Failure to comply with working hours, theft and fraud,

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

It my passion to help people in need. It makes me feel good to see people the Youth do well in the life

Cons

I don't like to see anyone stuck in between and not being helped.

What is a senior administrative assistant and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Senior Administrative Assistant?

What are the pros and cons of being a Senior Administrative Assistant?

Newest jobs for Senior Administrative Assistant in Ashburn, VA

Senior Administrative Assistant career paths

Key steps to become a senior administrative assistant

Explore senior administrative assistant education requirements

Most common senior administrative assistant degrees

Start to develop specific senior administrative assistant skills

Complete relevant senior administrative assistant training and internships

Research senior administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Get senior administrative assistant experience

Prepare your senior administrative assistant resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Senior Administrative Assistant Resume templates

Apply for senior administrative assistant jobs

How Did You Land Your First Senior Administrative Assistant Job

Average senior administrative assistant salary

How do senior administrative assistants rate their job?

Senior Administrative Assistant reviews

Senior Administrative Assistant FAQs

How long does it take to become a Senior Administrative Assistant?

How do you get promoted as an administrative assistant?

How long does it take to become an administrative assistant?

What is senior administrative experience?

What is the highest level of administrative assistant?

What qualifications does an administrative assistant need?

Search for senior administrative assistant jobs

Senior Administrative Assistant jobs by state