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Corporate & startup
Executive Assistant
Running an executive is running a small company.
Typical pay
$50k-$120k
How you get in
No formal requirement; experience and judgment
Outlook
Steady; senior EA roles pay increasingly well
Executive assistants manage calendars, travel, communications and priorities for senior leaders. At the high end it is a strategic role with real influence over how an organization spends its most expensive time.
A day in the life
- 7:30aTriage the executive inbox before they wake up
- 8:30aRebuild the day after a conflict appears
- 10:00aBook complex multi-city travel
- 12:00pLunch while prepping board materials
- 2:00pSit in on a meeting and capture the actions
- 4:30pChase the things nobody else followed up on
How to get in
Administrative upward
Duration
2-5 years
Cost
$0
Credential
None — track record
- Start as a receptionist, office coordinator or team assistant
- Master calendars, travel and expense systems
- Take on more judgment calls as trust builds
- Move to supporting a director, then a VP, then the C-suite
Direct entry at a startup
Duration
Weeks
Cost
$0
Credential
None
- Apply to startups, which hire EAs with less formal experience
- Expect a broader, messier role covering office and operations too
- Build the relationship and the resume fast
- Use it to move into a larger company at a senior level
EA into chief of staff or operations
Duration
3-6 years
Cost
$0-$10,000 for optional certifications
Credential
None — demonstrated judgment
- Support a senior executive and learn the business deeply
- Start owning projects rather than just scheduling
- Take on operations, hiring or communications work
- Move into chief of staff or an operations manager role
What people love
- · High pay at the senior end without a degree
- · Total visibility into how the business runs
- · Strong pivot into operations or chief of staff
- · Every industry needs it
What wears people down
- · Always reachable, including evenings
- · Your day is dictated by someone else
- · Work is invisible when done well
- · Quality of life depends entirely on one person