executive assistant job outlook statistics
Abstract
BLS counted 502,800 executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in 2024 and projects 494,900 in 2034, a decline of 7,900 jobs or 2 percent. [1] That projection describes net employment, not hiring volume. In 2025, 87.2 percent of workers were in jobs requiring prior experience and 74.0 percent were in jobs requiring on-the-job training. [2]
Methodology
This review uses the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025 Occupational Requirements Survey, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release, and O*NET. All use SOC 43-6011. Figures from different programs and years are labeled and are not combined into a new estimate.
The occupation is projected to shrink modestly
BLS reports 502,800 jobs in 2024 and projects 494,900 in 2034, a change of negative 7,900 jobs or negative 2 percent. [1] The broader secretary and administrative assistant group is projected to remain approximately flat.
BLS projects about 358,300 annual openings across the broader group, largely for replacement. [1] It does not publish an executive-assistant-only annual openings figure on this page, so that broader total is not EA demand.
Current employment uses a different statistical program
The May 2025 OEWS release estimated 459,910 workers in the occupation. [3] That estimate and the 502,800 projection base come from different BLS programs and should not be subtracted to claim a one-year loss.
Use OEWS to describe current estimated employment and the Employment Projections program for modeled direction. [3][4]
Experience and judgment remain central
In 2025, prior experience was required for 87.2 percent of workers, on-the-job training for 74.0 percent, and more than basic people skills for 95.9 percent. [2] These are worker shares, not shares of job advertisements.
O*NET defines the work as high-level support including research, reports, information requests, correspondence, conference calls, and scheduling. [5] Hiring briefs should specify the actual scope.
Telework is material but not universal
Routine telework was allowed for 39.5 percent of workers in 2025. [2] This does not mean 39.5 percent worked fully remote because the measure asks whether routine telework is allowed.
Work schedules varied for 21.1 percent of workers. [2] Employers comparing in-house and virtual support should define presence, coverage, access, and decision rights.
Pay confirms a distinct senior occupation
The May 2025 OEWS release estimated a mean annual wage of $79,140, a median annual wage of $76,590, and a median hourly wage of $36.82. [3] These are employed-worker wages, not starting salaries.
The 2026 salary benchmark explains how observed wages differ from projected starting ranges. Geography, industry, scope, and experience matter.
How employers should use the outlook
BLS identifies digital tools, AI, manager self-service, and assistants supporting more than one manager as factors affecting employment. [1] It does not isolate how much of the projection comes from AI.
Use the outlook as a planning input, not a candidate-quality judgment. Define the work, risks, stakeholders, access, schedule, and authority. Teams can discuss support requirements before setting a budget.
Key findings
- BLS projects SOC 43-6011 to decline 2 percent from 2024 to 2034. [1]
- OEWS estimated 459,910 jobs in May 2025. [3]
- Prior experience was required for 87.2 percent of workers in 2025. [2]
- Routine telework was allowed for 39.5 percent in 2025. [2]
- Replacement openings continue, but the cited page gives no EA-only annual openings figure.
Sources
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey
- Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Occupational Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants, O*NET OnLine