---

Executive Assistant

Types of Degrees Executive Assistant Majors Are Earning

Those studying Executive Assistant may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	282
Associate’s Degree	326
Bachelor’s Degree	45
Master’s Degree	583

What Executive Assistant Majors Need to Know

Studies in Executive Assistant emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Executive Assistant graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Executive Assistant emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Administrative — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Executive Assistant program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Executive Assistant careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Executive Assistant graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Performing Administrative Activities	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.7 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Executive Assistant professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Publisher	Desktop publishing software	—
Evernote	Word processing software	—
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Human resource management software HRMS	Human resources software	—
Apple macOS	Operating system software	—
SmugMug Flickr	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Slack	Cloud-based data access and sharing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Executive Assistant graduates include:

• Administrative Coordinator
• Administrative Officer
• Office Assistant
• Staff Assistant
• Office Administrator
• Personal Assistant
• Administrative Liaison
• Administrative Associate
• Personal Secretary
• Administrative Support Specialist
• Tool Crib Manager
• Petroleum Inspector Supervisor
• Order Takers Supervisor
• Ticket Sales Supervisor
• Billing Supervisor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Executive Assistant graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	34.3%
Bachelor’s degree	25.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	19.1%
Some college courses	16.2%
Postsecondary certificate	3.2%
Master’s degree	0.9%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%
First professional degree	0.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Executive Assistant?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 87.4% of Executive Assistant degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,206	87.4%
Men	174	12.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Executive Assistant graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	832	60.3%
Asian	36	2.6%
Hispanic or Latino	189	13.7%
Black or African American	217	15.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	17	1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.3%
Two or More Races	23	1.7%
Race Unknown	61	4.4%
International Students	1	0.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Executive Assistant Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Executive Assistant graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$24,716
4 years	$28,352
5 years	$31,368

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $31,368 — roughly 27% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Executive Assistant Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Executive Assistant. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	8	9

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Executive Assistant Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Executive Assistant graduates earn a median of $28,352 four years after completion — about 25% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services	52.04
Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General	52.0401
Business Operations Support and Secretarial Services, Other	52.0499
Business/Office Automation/Technology/Data Entry	52.0407
Customer Service Support/Call Center/Teleservice Operation	52.0411
General Office Occupations and Clerical Services	52.0408
Parts, Warehousing, and Inventory Management Operations	52.0409
Receptionist	52.0406
Traffic, Customs, and Transportation Clerk/Technician	52.0410
Customer Service Management	52.0207
E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce	52.0208
Office Management and Supervision	52.0204

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.