Abstract

The May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release provides employment and wage estimates for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants by industry, state, and metropolitan area. [1][2][3] The tables support labor-market comparisons, but they are survey estimates rather than a count of every worker or every job using an executive assistant title.

Methodology

This article uses occupation 43-6011 and treats the May 2025 OEWS occupation page and downloadable tables as the primary statistical record. [1][2][3] BLS overview, frequently asked questions, and technical notes define the survey and its limits. [4][5][6] O*NET wage, role, and outlook pages are used only as cross-checks for occupation scope and trend context. [7][8][9][10] Figures from earlier releases are not mixed into a new growth estimate.

What the 2025 tables can answer

OEWS publishes employment, mean wages, percentile wages, and location quotients for occupation 43-6011 at national, industry, state, and area levels where estimates meet publication standards. [1][2][3] This lets a hiring team compare where the occupation is employed and how pay differs across labor markets.

Employment level and concentration answer different questions. A large industry may employ many assistants while the occupation remains a small share of that industry. A smaller industry can have a high concentration but fewer total jobs. The BLS table labels should remain attached when figures are copied into a brief.

Why occupation matching matters

BLS defines the occupation around high-level administrative support, including research, reports, information requests, correspondence, visitors, conference calls, and scheduling. [8] A role centered on operations leadership, program management, or personal household work may belong elsewhere even when the employer uses the executive assistant title.

O*NET adds work activities, context, skills, and detailed tasks for the same occupation. [10] Compare actual duties before applying a geographic wage row. The role comparison guide helps distinguish adjacent scope, but the federal classification remains the statistical reference.

How to read geography without false precision

OEWS estimates come from a semiannual employer survey and are produced through a model-based method using multiple panels. [4][6] Sampling error, nonresponse, imputation, and suppression affect interpretation. A ranked list should not imply that a small difference between two areas is exact.

Location quotients compare an occupation share in an area with its national share. [1] They do not measure candidate quality, recruiting difficulty, remote-work availability, or future demand. For a remote role, the relevant labor market may also differ from the office location.

A practical market brief

Record the release month, occupation code, geography, ownership or industry definition, employment estimate, wage statistic, and any footnote. Compare median with median and mean with mean. Use the salary benchmark review for the national wage distribution, then add location evidence without averaging unlike sources.

Pair the federal table with current local postings, internal pay equity, benefits, schedule, and documented role scope. O*NET exposes national and local wage lookup paths, but its figures still trace to federal data. [7] Do not count the same government estimate as two independent confirmations.

Trend and release limits

The Occupational Outlook Handbook and projections tables describe longer-term employment and openings for broader secretarial categories and detailed occupations. [8][9] Projections are not forecasts for one company or city, and openings can arise from replacement even when total employment declines.

The FAQ explains that OEWS is not designed for every comparison users may attempt, while technical notes document estimation and publication practices. [5][6] The defensible use is a dated benchmark for market context. A hiring decision still needs a current, location-aware and duty-matched review.

Key findings

  • The May 2025 release supports industry, state, and area comparisons for occupation 43-6011. [1][2][3]
  • Employment level and occupational concentration are different measures.
  • Survey estimates and small geographic differences should not be presented as exact counts.
  • Role duties should be matched to the federal occupation before applying a benchmark.
  • Projections and current employment estimates answer different questions. [8][9]

Sources

  1. Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants, May 2025, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  2. May 2025 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  3. May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Tables, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  4. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Data Overview, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  5. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Frequently Asked Questions, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  6. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Technical Notes, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  7. National Wages for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants, O*NET OnLine
  8. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  9. Occupational Projections and Worker Characteristics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  10. Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants, Occupation Details, O*NET OnLine

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