What does an Executive Assistant do?
An executive assistant coordinates and provides high-quality administrative support to the executive team. An executive assistant's role may also include analyzing documents, preparing research reports, and occasionally supervising staff members. As such, executive assistants function as an integral and indispensable part of the office and can be found in any industry – government, education, retail, hospitality, recreation, and more.
Many executive assistants begin their career path as an administrative assistant, eventually being promoted into an executive assistant role. The best executive assistants are outgoing, have an eye for detail, and work well with a wide variety of personalities.
- Schedule appointments, and maintain and update supervisors' daily calendar
- Coordinate travel arrangements, prepare itineraries, plan logistics, and submit expense reports
- Screen all incoming phone calls, inquiries, visitors, and correspondence, and route accordingly
- Maintain confidentiality of highly sensitive information
- Manage complex office administrative work requiring the use of independent judgment and initiative
- Bachelor's degree required or equivalent work experience
- 5 years of experience in administrative support functions
- Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with a strong attention to detail
- Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and Power Point), Adobe Acrobat, and social media web platforms
- Very strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with key stakeholders
Executive Assistant Salaries near Australia
Average Base Pay
Executive Assistant Career Path
Learn how to become an Executive Assistant, what skills and education you need to succeed, and what level of pay to expect at each step on your career path.
Years of Experience Distribution
Executive Assistant Insights
Neiman Marcus“Everyone I interviewed seemed so lovely and I was honestly very excited and looking forward to starting employment here”
Athena“tripping trainer once she was the only one though everyone else was nice and realistic.”
Hg“Onboarding was super welcoming and the best experience I have had of starting a new role”
sfa design“You get to be apart of one of the best design teams in LA and work with the coolest clients”
Horwich Farrelly“The pay isn't amazing but not bad considering the positive aspect of the job.”
Investcorp“Far far too quiet and the job description in the interview was not what the job actually was.”
Athena“my needs are met and I am well taken care of because of the benefits offered.”
Pepperdine University“There is a great sense of team work and have a commons goal of helping students.”
Frequently asked questions about the role and responsibilities of executive assistants
A typical day of an executive assistant is spent performing a variety of tasks to support the executive they work for. They might handle their daily schedule, clerical duties, make phone calls, maintain files, and schedule meetings. Executive assistants also accept visitors and draft correspondence.
The best part about being an executive assistant is the many different possibilities. It is a profession needed in almost any industry from retail to government, education, and hospitality. The hours for an executive assistant generally follow a typical work week.
The average salary for an executive assistant is $97,000 but the range falls between $83,000 and $110,000. How much an executive assistant makes depends on the industry they work in, the level of their education, and any additional skills or experience they may have.
Working as an executive assistant can be challenging depending on the industry and the schedule and needs of the executive they work for. They often sit for long periods of time and spend most of their day on the computer or answering the phone.
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Do jobs ever pay over the range advertised in the posting? For example, if I apply to a job with a range of 65k-96k and I really want $120k, is that bonkers? I feel like most of them. Don’t even want to pay the top of their advertised range. I’m just wondering how real these are.