Executive Assistant

Explore employment trends, required job duties and skills for this career. ASU offers a variety of degrees that can help you prepare for and meet your career goals. Visit ASU's Career and Professional Development Services to learn how to develop your career plan.

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Potential job titles in this career

Administrative Aide, Administrative Assistant, Administrative Associate, Administrative Coordinator, Administrative Secretary, Administrative Specialist, Executive Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant, Executive Secretary, Office Assistant

* Additional schooling, certification, or degrees maybe be required for some of the potential careers that are listed.

What will I do?

Manage and maintain executives' schedules.

Make travel arrangements for executives.

Prepare invoices, reports, memos, letters, financial statements, and other documents, using word processing, spreadsheet, database, or presentation software.

Coordinate and direct office services, such as records, departmental finances, budget preparation, personnel issues, and housekeeping, to aid executives.

Answer phone calls and direct calls to appropriate parties or take messages.

Prepare responses to correspondence containing routine inquiries.

Open, sort, and distribute incoming correspondence, including faxes and email.

Greet visitors and determine whether they should be given access to specific individuals.

Prepare agendas and make arrangements, such as coordinating catering for luncheons, for committee, board, and other meetings.

Conduct research, compile data, and prepare papers for consideration and presentation by executives, committees, and boards of directors.

In this career, it is important to know

Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

It's useful to be good at

Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Employment trends

Location	Pay period	2022
Location	Pay period	10%	25%	Median%	75%	90%
United States	Hourly	$20.93	$25.51	$31.72	$39.39	$48.85
United States	Yearly	$43,520	$53,070	$65,980	$81,930	$101,600
Arizona	Hourly	$21.00	$24.66	$31.16	$37.28	$41.57
Arizona	Yearly	$43,680	$51,300	$64,820	$77,540	$86,460

2022 Median%
United States	$31.72 Hourly	$65,980 Yearly
Arizona	$31.16 Hourly	$64,820 Yearly

Employment (2022)

511,100 employees

Projected growth (2022 - 2032)

Decline (-2% or lower)

Projected job openings (2022 - 2032)

35,600

* Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).

What are accelerated programs?

Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.

3 year programs

These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.

Accelerated master's

These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).

Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.

What are concurrent programs?

Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.

What are joint programs?

Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.

What constitutes a new program?

ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the “New Programs” option.

What are online programs?

ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.

What is the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)?

The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is a program in which residents of western states (other than Arizona) may be eligible for reduced nonresident tuition. See more information and eligibility requirements on the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program.