How to become an executive assistant: the work that gets you there, and how to ask for the title
Most executive assistants get there by doing the job before they have the title. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says executive assistants typically need several years of experience in other administrative roles, and some employers prefer some college courses or a bachelor's degree. What moves you up is proof that you can run a senior leader's time, information and follow-through.
Below is the work that builds that proof, with a first step for each, and how to ask for the title change and the pay that goes with it. If you want to rehearse the conversation with your manager out loud first, Carmen can play them.
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$76,590 a year
Median pay for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants, May 2025
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook$48,310 a year
Median pay for secretaries and administrative assistants, May 2025
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook489,300
Executive secretary and executive administrative assistant jobs in the US, 2025
BLS Occupational Outlook HandbookThe work that makes you an executive assistant
Support one senior leader closely
An executive assistant is measured by how much time and attention they save one person. If you support a whole team now, ask to become the main point of contact for one director or executive. Knowing their priorities well is the core of the job.
- Pay
- $76,590 median for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants, May 2025
- First step
- Ask the most senior person you support what takes up time they wish they could hand off.
Own calendars and travel end to end
Booking a meeting is admin work. Deciding what gets on the calendar, protecting focus time, and planning travel with backups for delays is executive support. Owning the whole thing, including the rescheduling when plans fall apart, is what people notice.
- First step
- Write down the rules you use to accept, move or decline meetings for your leader, and check them with your leader.
Prepare meetings and board materials
Executives walk into meetings with an agenda, the right papers and a short note on who will be there and what they want. Assistants who prepare that pack, take clean notes and send the follow-up become part of how decisions get made.
- First step
- Before your leader's next big meeting, put the agenda, last meeting's notes and open action items into one document and send it the day before.
Handle confidential information well
Executive assistants see pay, performance, deals and personal matters before anyone else does. Trust is built by keeping it quiet, storing it carefully, and asking when you are unsure who may see something.
- First step
- Check where sensitive files you handle are stored today and ask your manager if anything should move somewhere more restricted.
Coordinate projects for your leader
Many executive assistants track the projects their leader cares about: owners, deadlines and what is stuck. It shows you can see the business, beyond the calendar, and it is the kind of work that justifies a title change.
- First step
- Offer to keep a simple tracker of your leader's open projects and send a short status note at the end of each week.
Anticipate needs before you are asked
The difference people describe between a good assistant and a great one is that the great one already has the answer. That comes from knowing your leader's week, their habits and what usually goes wrong.
- First step
- Each Friday, look at your leader's next week and list what they will need for each important meeting before they ask.
Ask for the title change
If you already do most of this work, getting the title is mostly a conversation. Bring a written list of what you own, examples with dates, and the executive assistant job description at your company or a similar one. Ask what else they would need to see, and when you can revisit it.
- First step
- Write one page listing the executive-level work you did this year and book a meeting with your manager to discuss your title.
Ask for the raise that goes with it
A new title should come with pay that matches it. Look up what executive assistants earn in your area and at your company level, and name a number. Rehearsing the ask out loud makes it much easier to say calmly in the room.
- First step
- Collect three or four executive assistant salary figures for your city from job postings or salary surveys and write down the number you will ask for.
Sample conversation
How a conversation with Carmen starts
Carmen asks before she suggests. An illustrative example, not a real person.
I basically run my director's calendar and travel already. How do I get the executive assistant title?
Then you are already doing a large part of the job. What else do you handle for her beyond the calendar?
I prep her meetings and chase people after. I also keep track of her projects in a spreadsheet.
That is executive support. Let's write it up with dates and examples, then practice the ask. I can play your manager, and you tell me the title and the number you want.
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Questions & answers
- How do I go from administrative assistant to executive assistant?
- Take on the work first: support one senior leader closely, own their calendar and travel, prepare their meetings and handle confidential information well. BLS says executive assistants typically need several years of experience in other administrative roles. Then ask for the title with written examples of what you already do.
- Do I need a degree to become an executive assistant?
- Not always. BLS notes that some employers prefer candidates who have taken some college courses or have a bachelor's degree. Experience supporting senior people usually counts most, so check postings at the level you want.
- How much do executive assistants make?
- The BLS median for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants was $76,590 a year in May 2025, compared with $48,310 for secretaries and administrative assistants overall. Pay varies a lot by city, industry and who you support.
- How do I ask for a raise as an administrative assistant?
- Bring a written list of what you own and the results, with dates. Look up local pay for the role you are doing, name a specific number, and ask what would need to be true if the answer is no. Practicing it out loud first helps.
More for administrative and executive assistants
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Sources
Last checked September 29, 2026.