Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
Machines can already do 55% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 79%. Most of the work is changing now.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 55% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 23% of them.
- Forecast: machines can already do half of its tasks, and 79% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 459,910 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $76,590 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 73% for contact with people.
- Also called: Administrative Aide, Administrative Assistant, Administrative Associate, Administrative Coordinator.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manage and maintain executives' schedules | 14% | 60% to 90% | |
| Prepare invoices, reports, memos, letters, financial statements, and other documents, using word processing, spreadsheet, database, or presentation software | 12% | 78% to 97% | |
| Coordinate and direct office services, such as records, departmental finances, budget preparation, personnel issues, and housekeeping, to aid executives | 7% | 10% to 27% | |
| Answer phone calls and direct calls to appropriate parties or take messages | 7% | 35% to 58% | |
| Prepare agendas and make arrangements, such as coordinating catering for luncheons, for committee, board, and other meetings | 7% | 60% to 90% | |
| Perform general office duties, such as ordering supplies, maintaining records management database systems, and performing basic bookkeeping work | 7% | 50% to 85% | |
| Make travel arrangements for executives | 5% | 85% to 87% | |
| Prepare responses to correspondence containing routine inquiries | 5% | 75% to 95% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks69% of tasks by 2035 · US median $35,070
- Receptionists and Information Clerks77% of tasks by 2035 · US median $38,010
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers72% of tasks by 2035 · US median $58,650
- Office Clerks, General75% of tasks by 2035 · US median $45,010
What should you do about it?
Open this job in the Workforce Starburst to see it for your country, then use these to act on it.
Watch This Job
Get told when the outlook for this job changes.
Free planSkills to learn next
The skills that make this job, or the next one, last longer.
In the StarburstCheck your readiness
Ten quick questions on how ready you are.
FreeAsk Vantage
Ask what this job means for you and get a sourced answer.
Free to askFutures Academy courses
Courses matched to your gaps.
Coming soonPay trend
Where pay for this job is heading.
Coming soonTeam plan
Every role in your team, side by side, with a plan for each.
Pro and CorporateShared workspace
Work through it with your team, with notes and decisions kept.
Pro and Corporate
Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants?
Machines can already do half of its tasks. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants?
Machines can do 55% of the tasks of executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants today and 79% by 2035. Most of the routine work moves to machines, and the people in the job move to oversight, judgement and client work.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 43-6011.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/executive-secretaries-and-executive-administrative-assistants/