The Admin's Guide to 2025 Pay Trends and Raises

As a Partnering or Leading executive admin, you're not just managing operations–you're driving strategy, enabling leadership, and influencing outcomes. But too often, your salary doesn’t reflect that level of impact. 

Let’s break down what you need to know about this year’s pay trends and explore ways to advocate for your worth–whether it’s at your next performance review or as you step into a new role.

See Where You Stand: 2025 Salary Insights for EAs

Early insights from the 2025 ASAP State of the Profession Report show these top compensation trends:

• Salary budgets are holding steady, with an average annual salary across all administrative roles of $69,643, up 3.7% from 2024. Leading administrative professionals in large companies report the highest earnings, with an average annual salary exceeding $92,000.

• Admins who completed external professional development in the last year, such as online courses through ASAP or training events like APC and EA Ignite, are more likely to see salary increases tied to performance.

• Years in the profession directly influence earnings, but career stage–as illustrated in the ASAP Career Stages Framework–plays an equally important role in compensation. 

• 70% of APs received a pay increase in the past year, and those in corporate environments were most likely to receive an annual bonus. Admins who work directly with executives or have direct reports are also more likely to receive a bonus than their non-executive supporting and non-managing peers.

Remember that company size, industry, and career stage all play a role. For example, EAs in large corporations generally command higher salaries, especially at the C- level.

Prepare to Lead the Conversation About Your Pay

If you’re managing more complexity in your role, leading cross-functional projects, and working with executives as a strategic business partner, but your compensation doesn’t align with those responsibilities, use these salary negotiation tips:

• Start With What the Market Says: Know the facts, then speak to how your unique contributions elevate the role and the business. Use the State of the Profession survey data to benchmark your current pay by type of role, industry, and career stage—not just years of experience or title. In fact, we found the title “executive assistant” across all career stages, indicating that many EAs are operating with more strategic responsibilities than others with the same title.
  

• Frame Your Impact in Executive Terms: Don’t just describe what you did. Highlight how it influenced business priorities, freed up executive bandwidth, or moved the organization forward. Speak the languages of strategy and impact, not just service.
  

• Don’t Wait for Permission to Advocate: Bring salary discussions into regular performance reviews or strategic planning sessions—not just when prompted.
  

• Practice the Conversation: Rehearse with a mentor or peer to anticipate questions. Preparation helps shift the conversation from uncomfortable to empowered.
  

• Think Beyond Base Salary: Total compensation includes bonuses, flexible work options, stipends for professional development, and more. Negotiating these can close value gaps even when budgets are tight.

Negotiating salary isn’t about being aggressive–it’s about being strategic, informed, and confident.

Advocate Like a Leader

You’ve earned your seat at the table. Now, it’s time to make sure your compensation reflects the level of impact you’re delivering. The profession is evolving–your pay should evolve with it.

Ready to step into your next salary conversation with confidence? 

Download the 2025 ASAP State of the Profession Report for exclusive salary information, career stage insights, and plenty of data to back up your unique value.

Get the 2025 State of the Profession Report