On April 23, organizations across the country celebrated 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 bachelor’s 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 Secretary’s 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.

About the Survey
Compensation Data 2007 contains data on 539 job titles ranging from entry-level to top executives. Information was collected on almost 6 million employees across the country. The results provide a comprehensive summary of pay data, benefits information and pay practices.

Compdata Surveys is the nation’s leading compensation and benefits survey data provider. Data is collected annually from thousands of organizations across the country. Compdata Surveys has been providing accurate, reliable data at affordable prices to organizations from coast to coast since 1988. Results for Compensation Data 2008 will be released in June 2008. For further information about the compensation and benefits surveys or media inquiries, contact Lane Odle at (800) 300-9570 or lodle@compdatasurveys.com.

Administrative Professionals Day® is a registered trademark of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP).