How to become a Executive Assistant

Keep an executive's time, travel and priorities running smoothly.

Part of the career change guide — A practical, step-by-step method for moving into a new occupation — how to pick the target, work out the real gap, and prove the missing skills without going back to university.

Median pay

$68,000

Benchmark, varies by market

10-year outlook

Projected change in demand

Skills to prove

Mapped to O*NET / ESCO

Typical preparation

Job zone 3

O*NET preparation level

Get your free Executive Assistant roadmap

We turn these skills into a phased plan with free courses, checkpoints and proof you can show employers.

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Skills a Executive Assistant needs

Ranked by how important employers rate each one. Every skill you prove is stored in your Skill Wallet and used to match you to live jobs.

Critical thinkingImportance 5/5

NegotiationImportance 5/5

Project managementImportance 5/5

Stakeholder communicationImportance 5/5

Time managementImportance 5/5

Written communicationImportance 5/5

Presentation skillsImportance 3/5

Problem solvingImportance 3/5

Your Executive Assistant learning path, phase by phase

Phase 1 · Foundations

Weeks 1–6

Critical thinking
Negotiation

Phase 2 · Core craft

Weeks 7–14

Project management
Stakeholder communication

Phase 3 · Applied practice

Weeks 15–22

Time management
Written communication

Phase 4 · Proof & portfolio

Weeks 23–30

Presentation skills
Problem solving

This is the shape of the plan. Your own roadmap is sequenced around what you already know — see a full sample roadmap.

Free and low-cost courses for this path

6 free and low-cost courses inside

Courses are sequenced into a phased plan with checkpoints. Create a free account to unlock the full list.

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Live jobs for Executive Assistants right now

Remote Office Assistant

Coalition Technologies Worldwidelast month

$312,000 – $52,000

Assistant Account Payable

The Obesity SocietyUSA2 months ago

Pay on application

Head of Marketing & Communications

garden3dWorldwidelast month

$150,000 – $230,000

See how close you already are

Create your Skill Wallet and every job here gets a match score, with the exact gaps to close.

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Executive Assistant jobs by location

Executive Assistant by experience level

Entry level Executive Assistant

0–2 years

Mid level Executive Assistant

2–5 years

Senior Executive Assistant

5+ years

Related roles in Business

General Manager

Business

How long does it take to become a Executive Assistant?: Most people working through a focused plan cover the 8 core skills in roughly six to nine months part-time. Your roadmap shortens automatically for skills you can already evidence.
Do I need a degree?: Usually not. Employers in this occupation weight demonstrated skills and short credentials more heavily than formal degrees.
What does a Executive Assistant earn?: The benchmark median is $68,000, with entry-level roles below that and senior roles well above it. Pay varies substantially by market.
Is Freecoursera free?: Yes. Building your roadmap, tracking progress and applying to matched jobs costs nothing. Courses we recommend are free or low-cost wherever possible.

Start your Executive Assistant plan today

Free forever. No credit card. Your first phase is ready in under three minutes.

Build my free roadmap Not sure? Take the 2-min quiz

Occupation data from O*NET and ESCO. Attribution

Sector: Business