Executive Assistants Earn Average Base of $54,500, Up 5.6% In 2 Years

Amy Kaminski of Compdata Surveys

Today is Administrative Professionals Day so today is the day when managers are supposed to deliver cards, flowers and take their administrative assistants and secretaries to lunch in appreciation for the services they provide.

In addition to the gestures bestowed on this increasingly valuable group of employees, many have also enjoyed increasing salaries over the past year. The Compdata Surveys 2012 BenchmarkPro survey results found:

• Executive assistants earn an average base salary of $54,500, up 5.6 percent from 2011.
• Office managers salaries increased from $44,800 in 2011 to $47,000 in 2012, representing a 4.9 percent increase.
• Secretaries saw a bump in pay of 3.8 percent in 2012, to $32,400.
• Senior administrative assistant salaries have increased by 3.2 percent over the last year.
• Salaries for clerks went from $26,600 in 2011 to $27,200 in 2012.

Salaries differ somewhat by industry, as receptionists in services earn the most at $32,100. Receptionists in utilities average $31,000 each year, compared to those in manufacturing and distribution at $29,200. Not-for-profits pay their receptionists an average of $26,200 and healthcare reports the lowest average base rate for receptionists, $24,700.

“The role of administrative professionals continues to evolve as business needs and technology changes,” said Amy Kaminski, vice president for Compdata Surveys. “Today, administrative professionals must act as a company liaison, be able to prepare presentations on a dime and arrange travel, in addition to many other responsibilities. In fact, some administrative professional roles now require advanced degrees or specialized training to move into those roles.”