Pay Varies for Administrative Professionals

On April 23, organizations across the country will celebrate Administrative Professionals Day with flowers, cards and lunches. Over the last four years, pay has increased slightly for administrative professionals, secretaries and executive assistants. However, salaries for these positions can vary widely based upon position and years of experience.

Administrative assistants earn $35,400 on average, while secretaries make $30,000 according to the Compensation Data 2007 survey of nearly 5,300 employers. Over the last four years, pay has increased by nearly 6 percent for administrative assistants and by 4.5 percent for secretaries. With a bachelorís degree and three to five years of experience, individuals can earn $48,300 on average as executive assistants. Since 2004, salaries for executive assistants have increased by 6.4 percent.

Flexible schedules and tuition reimbursement are two benefits offered to administrative professionals. According to the Compensation Data 2007 results, nearly 40 percent of U.S. companies offer flexible schedules to administrative workers, and tuition reimbursement is offered by 76.8 percent of organizations.

Administrative Professionals Day
Since 1952, organizations have been celebrating Administrative Professionals Day on the Wednesday of the last full week in April. Originally called Secretaryís Day, this holiday was created by Harry F. Klemfuss to encourage more women to become secretaries. In 2006, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics found the workforce was comprised of more than 4.2 million secretaries and administrative assistants. Over the years, the variety of tasks and technical skills required has changed greatly.