Administrative Assistant: career path and pay in the US
Where a Administrative Assistant goes next, what each step typically pays in the United States, and how exposed the path is to AI replacement. 3 steps, from Administrative Assistant to Senior Administrative Assistant / Executive Assistant / Office Coordinator.
Also for the United Kingdom: Administrative Assistant in the UK
The path
Step 1 · 0 to 2 years
Administrative Assistant
$35K to $50K
Typical US pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Administrative Assistant Certification (optional) - Global, Microsoft Office Specialist (optional) - Global.
Step 2 · 2 to 6 years
Administrative Assistant / Senior Administrative Assistant
$45K to $65K
Typical US pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Administrative Assistant Certification - Global, Microsoft Office Specialist - Global.
Step 3 · 6+ years
Senior Administrative Assistant / Executive Assistant / Office Coordinator
$60K to $90K
Typical US pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Administrative Assistant Certification - Global, Microsoft Office Specialist - Global, Office Management Certification (optional) - Global.
Exposure and pay along the path
Exposure to AI, now to later
76% → 76%
Stays level across the path. Lower is better.
Typical pay, now to later
$35K to $50K → $60K to $90K
US estimates by job title, Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale US. Indeed publishes a hourly average for Administrative Assistant ($21.00); this band converts it at 40 hours a week. Indeed publishes a hourly average for Senior Administrative Assistant ($25.87); this band converts it at 40 hours a week.
What the work involves
Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge areas
- Administrative
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
Education people bring
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED): 50%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree: 22%
- Bachelor's Degree: 11%
Job Zone 2, job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Other paths from here
- Executive Assistant
- Office Coordinator
- Office Manager
- Administrative Manager
More Operations/Administration paths in the US
Related occupations in O*NET: Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants, Office Clerks, General, Administrative Services Managers, Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Your own role
How exposed is your job, task by task? Free score in under a minute.
SourcesSalary bands: Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale US, US national averages by job title, retrieved September 2026Skills, knowledge and education: O*NET 31.0 Database
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CC BY 4.0
Salary estimates by job title from Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale, retrieved September 2026. Each band runs from 20% below to 20% above the reported average, rounded to $5K. Exposure percentages and the skills listed under each step are this app's own editorial ratings, not published data.