US Executive Assistant Salaries

The IEAA has carried out a study in Executive Assistants Salaries in the US. The report has used well-known employee databases, job sites and respected sources, to show the average pay for Executive Assistants in the US. We can see there is a range in salaries between different cities and regions within the US. Our data was last updated in November 2022 and some US cities saw rises in their salaries during the year. This may have been caused by Inflation experienced during 2022. Most cities witness a wide range in pay for Executive Assistants. High-paying Executive Assistant Jobs tend to have job titles such as Executive Assistant to the CEO, CIO, CFO and other C-Level Executives. These jobs tend to command the highest pay. Cities like San Jose, San Francisco, New York and Chicago witnessed high wages and bonuses. Often higher paying Executive Assistant Jobs will be found in highly profitable industries. These industries include Insurance, Law, Financial Services, Technology, Pharmaceuticals and Oil and Gas.

HR Assistant Jobs

Executive Assistant Pay Range in the US

You can see the Executive Assistant pay range for many US cities. We have noted higher-earning Executive Assistants and average salaries for EAs. The increase in 2022 is faster than in previous years, most likely due to inflation. Executive Assistant Salaries have been increasing in many US cities in line with inflation. This is a good sign, as many other careers are not seeing wage rises to meet increases in the cost of living.

Executive Assistant Salaries in the US by city

Below you will see the salaries of Executive Assistants from major cities across the United States. Some towns have higher-end salaries. This pattern is because they have more headquarters or higher-paying industries than others.

Executive Assistant Salaries – West Coast

The below table shows Executive Assistant Salaries in key west coast cities, such as San Francisco, Seattle and LA.

CityAverage SalaryHigher End Salaries
Los Angeles$61,000$92,000
San Jose$93,000$132,000
San Diego$66,000$95,000
Seattle$74,000$100,000
San Francisco$92,000$131,000
Las Vegas$57,000$81,000

We can see exceptionally high salaries in the technology-dominated cities of San Francisco and San Jose. Additionally, Seattle offered some relatively high salaries. This region also witnessed average bonuses of between $4,ooo and $9,000 per year. However, some higher-end salary roles offered bonuses of $40,000 in San Francisco and San Jose.

Executive Assistant Salaries – Mountains Region

The below table shows Executive Assistant Salaries in critical Mountain time zone cities, such as Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Denver.

CityAverage SalaryHigher End Salaries
Phoenix$60,000$82,000
Salt Lake City$58,000$72,000
Omaha$61,000$85,000
Albuquerque$59,000$87,000
Denver$66,000$89,000

This region does not witness the high salaries in California. Nevertheless, the salaries are around the national average. Additional Cash Compensation was around $5,000 on average. The highest salaries are seen in Denver.

Executive Assistant Salaries – Mid-West Region

The below table shows Executive Assistant Salaries in critical Mid-West cities, such as Chicago, Indianapolis and Columbus.

CityAverage SalaryHigher End Salaries
Chicago$67,000$93,000
Milwaukee$64,000$85,000
Cincinnati$60,000$84,000
Minneapolis / St.Paul's$66,000$88,000
Columbus$62,000$84,000
Detroit$59,000$81,000
Cleveland$60,000$85,000
Indianapolis$59,000$85,000

The Mid-West has no significantly low salaries in the region. However, Chicago boasts the highest salaries. This is typical of the larger cities in the US. In particular, Chicago has many jobs in Financial Services and Law, generally higher-paying industries.

Executive Assistant Salaries – Texas Region

The below table shows Executive Assistant Salaries in critical Texas cities such as Austin, Dallas and Houston.

CityAverage SalaryHigher End Salaries
Dallas$64,000$90,000
Houston$64,000$92,000
Austin$63,000$90,000
San Antonio$58,000$82,000

Texas salaries were very consistent. It is worth noting the number of job opportunities was high in Dallas for Executive Assistants. Average bonuses were around $5,000 a year. However, many received more significant bonuses than this average.

Executive Assistant Salaries – East Coast

The below table shows Executive Assistant Salaries in critical east coast cities. These include major cities like NYV, Boston and Washington DC.

CityAverage SalaryHigher End Salaries
Washington DC$69,000$98,000
New York$75,000$110,000
Philadelphia$67,000$94,000
Baltimore$63,000$87,000
Boston$77,000$104,000

Executive Assistant Salaries – South Region

The below table shows Executive Assistant Salaries in critical southern cities.

CityAverage SalaryHigher End Salaries
Miami$61,000$89,000
Nashville$58,000$81,000
Atlanta$63,000$89,000
Charlotte$63,000$89,000
Louisville$56,000$78,000
Memphis$60,000$86,000

Work-Life Balance

The higher-paying jobs often involve more fast-paced and intense working environments. As a result, the range in salary often presents Executive Assistants with the choice between compensation and work-life balance. Therefore, Executive Assistants must consider the work-life balance and other intangibles before setting salary targets. In addition, many Executive Assistants are increasingly working from home and earning non-monetary benefits. If you plan to change your role or become an Executive Assistant, this aspect is worth considering. Salary surveys will not include these intangibles in the core salary figures. 

Virtual Assistant Careers

Many Executive Assistants have been working remotely. This has developed skills in supporting Executives from home. Executive Assistants have boasted of understanding how to communicate and develop relationships remotely.

High-Paying Executive Assistant Jobs

High-paying Executive Assistant Jobs tend to be found in all cities. The high salaries tend to be found where the job title is Executive Assistant to the CEO, CFO, CIO or another C-Level. Meanwhile, entry-level Executive Assistant Salaries will tend to be lower than the average salary. Additionally, entry Level Executive Assistants are likely to be involved in a more administrative support role than business support. They are also likely to support lower-level managers or a wider team.

Benefits

Benefits packages and non-financial benefits vary significantly according to our research, but these elements are harder to quantify. This issue will also differ in each country listed here and even within the same country. Many lower-paying Executive Assistant Jobs offer significant benefits that are more intangible.

Please click here to learn more about Executive Assistant Careers: CLICK HERE.

IEAA Courses

Find out more about the wide range of Executive Assistants courses we offer

IEAA Qualifications

Find out more about our qualification structure and how to progress your career.

Testimonials

I found the entire course worked well. The order in which the topics were presented, and the emphasis on the EA role and how it can be used most effectively. The course was guided by the practicalities of the role and included real life examples from both trainer and participants.  I was in awe of the ladies on the course and the positions they hold. I learn that the role is more management/partnership oriented than I had believed. Delighted to know that there are so many more options available for me to pursue.

Sheryl E, Trainee EA, Finance Company

Our tutor was excellent and fully engaged with each individual, I learnt why looking at the bigger picture and trying to partner my manager where possible was important.

Claire O C, Business Support Officer, NBDA