--- title: "Executive Assistant Job Description Template to Copy" description: "Copy this executive assistant job description template: summary, duties, skills, pay placeholder and screening questions. Edit it and post it." url: https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/executive-assistant-job-description-template publisher: Peachtree VA book: https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/contact --- # Executive Assistant Job Description Template (Copy and Edit) Peachtree VAUpdated October 29, 20268 min read The short answer A good executive assistant job description has seven parts: a title and summary, duties, required skills, tools, schedule, a pay range and how to apply. Use the template below, replace the brackets with your details, and add three screening questions. State the pay range so the right people apply. ## Copy, then cut The template is long on purpose. Delete every duty you do not need so the post stays honest. ## Say what they own Name the tasks the person decides alone and the ones they must ask about. ## Show the pay range A stated range filters applicants. Use BLS data as a reference, then adjust for your market. ## Screen with work Three short questions and one small task tell you more than a resume. ## What goes in an executive assistant job description? A strong job description has seven parts: title and summary, duties, required skills, tools, schedule and location, pay range, and how to apply. It tells the right person what the job is and tells the wrong person to skip it. Keep it to one page. Executive assistants give high-level support to a leader. BLS says executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants “provide high-level support for an office and for top executives of an organization.” For a plain definition, see the glossary entry on [executive assistant](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/executive-assistant). The template below is ready to copy. Replace every bracket with your own details. Then delete any duty you do not need. A short, honest post draws better candidates than a long list of everything an assistant might ever do. ## What is the template? Copy the text below into your job board or document. Brackets mark the parts you must fill in. This is a general template and not legal advice, so have your attorney or HR adviser check it before you post, especially the pay and equal opportunity lines. * * * **Job title:** Executive Assistant to \[Title of leader, e.g., Founder and CEO\] **Company:** \[Company name\] | \[Industry, one line\] **Location:** \[On-site in City, State / Hybrid / Remote in U.S. time zones\] **Schedule:** \[Full time, 40 hours a week, days and hours, time zone\] **Pay range:** \[$X to $Y per year, plus benefits you offer\] **Summary** \[Company name\] is looking for an Executive Assistant to support \[name or title\]. You will manage the calendar, inbox and projects so the leader can focus on \[top two priorities\]. You will work closely with \[teams or people\] and handle private information with care. **What you will do** - Manage the calendar, schedule meetings, and protect focus time - Triage the inbox, draft replies, and flag items that need a decision - Book and manage travel, including itineraries and expenses - Prepare for meetings with agendas, notes, and follow-up lists - Track projects and deadlines, and keep the leader on schedule - Coordinate with clients, vendors, and team members on the leader’s behalf - Prepare reports, slide decks, and documents - Handle expense reports and invoices for approval - Keep files, contacts, and records in order - \[Add one or two duties unique to your business\] **What you will own** - \[Tasks the person decides alone, e.g., rescheduling routine meetings\] - \[Tasks that need approval, e.g., spending over $X, replies to key clients\] **What we are looking for** - or more years in an administrative or executive support role - Strong written and spoken English, with clear and professional email - Sound judgment and discretion with private business and personal information - Excellent organization and the ability to manage many priorities - Comfort with \[calendar tool, e.g., Google Calendar\], \[email tool\], \[project tool\], and \[accounting or expense tool\] - Ability to work independently and ask good questions - \[Optional: experience in your industry\] **Tools you will use** \[List your tools: email, calendar, chat, project management, document storage, password manager, travel and expense tools.\] **How to apply** Send a resume and a short note about \[one question, e.g., a time you managed a leader’s calendar during a busy week\] to \[email address\] by \[date\]. Finalists will complete a short work sample. **Equal opportunity** \[Your equal opportunity statement. Ask your attorney for the right wording for your state.\] * * * ## How do I tailor each section? Tailor each section to the real work. A job description is a promise. If the post says “light admin” and the job is a full chief-of-staff load, the new hire leaves. The notes below explain how to adjust each part. Section What to write Common mistake Title Match the real level, such as “Executive Assistant to the CEO” Using “Admin” for a role with real decisions Summary Two sentences: who you support and what changes for them A long company history Duties 8 to 12 bullets that start with a verb A 30-item wish list Ownership Say what they decide alone and what needs approval Leaving authority unstated Skills Must-haves only Listing nice-to-haves as required Tools Name your actual tools “Proficient in Office” with no detail Pay A real range with benefits “Competitive” with no number Apply One clear action and a deadline Asking for five documents ### Which duties match the role? The BLS list for administrative roles includes tasks such as “Schedule appointments and update event calendars.” Executive roles add judgment and complexity. BLS says they “often handle complex responsibilities.” Use the table to sort your list by level. Duty Basic admin Executive assistant Calendar Books meetings you request Guards your time and sets priorities with you Email Sorts and forwards Drafts replies and flags decisions Travel Books what you pick Plans routes, handles changes, tracks costs Projects Follows a checklist Tracks owners, dates and blockers Reports Formats a document Gathers inputs and drafts the report Private data Follows rules Uses discretion without being told Decide which column your role fits. If it is the left column, you may need an administrative assistant and not an executive assistant. If it is the right column, post the executive role and say so. ## What pay range should I put in the post? Use a reference, then adjust for your market. BLS reported a median annual wage of $76,590 in May 2025 for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants. Half earned more and half earned less. Your city, industry and scope will change the number. Treat the BLS figure as a national reference only. It does not include self-employed workers and does not show your local market. Check ten local postings for similar roles, and ask peers what they pay. Then set a range that you can honestly afford and that fits the scope of the post. For a full pay walkthrough, see our guide on [how to hire an executive assistant](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/how-to-hire-an-executive-assistant). Some states and cities require pay ranges in job posts. Rules change, so check the rules for each place you hire. This is a question for your attorney. ## What screening questions should I ask? Ask three short questions in the application and one in the first call. The questions should test judgment, discretion and organization. Short answers are easy to compare, and a weak answer saves you an interview. 1. **Judgment:** “Tell me about a time you pushed back on a leader’s request. What did you do and what happened?” 2. **Prioritizing:** “Two urgent requests arrive at once. How do you decide which comes first?” 3. **Discretion:** “How do you handle private information you see in an inbox or file?” 4. **First week:** “What would you do in your first week to learn how I work?” BLS notes that these assistants “often prioritize tasks and make decisions on their employers’ behalf, so good judgment is essential.” Your questions should test exactly that. After the questions, give finalists a small work sample. A good one takes 30 to 45 minutes. Examples are drafting a reply to a tricky email, planning a two-city trip within a budget, or building a meeting agenda from messy notes. Tell candidates how long it should take, and judge the result on clarity, accuracy and follow-up questions. ## How do I keep the post accurate over time? Review the job description each time you hire and each year. Roles drift. An assistant who started on calendar and email may now run projects. If the post is out of date, your next hire will not match the real job. Update the duties, tools and pay at the same time. A useful habit is to keep the duties list tied to your records. Track what the assistant does for one week every quarter. Compare it to the post. Then fix the gap in one of two ways: update the document, or hand some tasks to someone else. Our guide on [how to delegate as a business owner](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/how-to-delegate-as-a-business-owner) can help with the second option. If you will hire a remote assistant, add the time zone, hours and the way you share accounts. See our guide on [giving a virtual assistant access safely](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/give-a-virtual-assistant-access-safely). A signed [non-disclosure agreement](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/non-disclosure-agreement) is a common step. Ask your attorney to draft it. ## Can a recruiter help write the post and run the search? Yes. If you would rather not write the post or screen the applicants, a recruiter can take both on. The Peachtree recruitment process includes discovery and needs assessment, market research and job development, strategic sourcing, rigorous screening and vetting, and final selection support. Christine Clapp, Founder of Spoken with Authority, said: “They handled everything from refining our job posting to checking references through to the offer letter, with the exception of final interviews.” Peachtree states that direct hire clients save an average of 42 days in vetting. Read the glossary entry on [direct hire](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/direct-hire) for how the model works. ## What are the common mistakes in an executive assistant job post? The most common mistakes are a vague title, a long wish list, and no pay range. Each one costs you good applicants or floods you with poor ones. Fixing them takes minutes. Read the post once as a candidate would, and cut anything that does not help them decide. Mistake in the post Effect Fix “Self-starter, rock star, ninja” Says nothing about the work Name the real tasks A 30-item duty list Strong people assume you do not know what you need Keep 8 to 12 duties No pay range Applicants guess, and you lose time State a range “Other duties as assigned” only The job has no shape List what they will own Hidden hours or time zone Mismatches appear late State hours and time zone No next step Fewer people apply Give one clear action and a date Plain words work best. Write the way you would explain the job to a friend. Use “you will” for duties and “we are looking for” for skills. Avoid slogans. A calm, specific post signals a calm, specific workplace. Last, match the post to the interview. If the post says the person will run projects, ask project questions. If it says the person will guard your calendar, test calendar judgment with a small task. The post, the questions and the work sample should tell one consistent story. When they do, candidates know what to expect and you hire with fewer surprises. ## Next step If you want help turning this template into a search, see our [recruitment services](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/recruitment-services). You can also [book a free strategy call](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/contact) to talk through the role. ## Frequently asked questions ### What should an executive assistant job description include? Include a title, a two-sentence summary, a short list of duties, required skills, tools, schedule and location, a pay range, and how to apply. Add a line on confidentiality. Keep it to one page so strong candidates read all of it. ### How long should an executive assistant job description be? Aim for 400 to 700 words. Long enough to set clear expectations, short enough to read in two minutes. Cut generic phrases and keep only the duties the person will really do. ### Should I list the salary in the job post? Yes, when you can. A stated range saves time for you and for candidates. Some states and cities require pay ranges in postings, so check the rules where you hire. Ask your attorney if you are unsure. ### What is the difference between an executive assistant and an administrative assistant? An administrative assistant handles routine clerical work. An executive assistant supports a senior leader and often uses judgment on the leader's behalf. BLS describes executive assistants as providing high-level support for top executives. ### Can I use this template for a virtual or remote assistant? Yes. Change the location line to remote, list the time zone and hours, and add the tools the person will use. Add a note on how you will share access to accounts. See our guide on giving access safely. ### Can Peachtree VA write the job description for me? For direct hire searches, the Peachtree recruitment process includes market research and job development. One client said the team handled everything from refining the job posting to checking references. Book a call to talk through your role. ## Terms in this article - [Non-disclosure agreement (NDA)](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/non-disclosure-agreement) - [Executive assistant](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/executive-assistant) - [Virtual assistant](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/virtual-assistant) - [Direct hire](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/direct-hire) ## Sources 1. [BLS: Occupational Outlook Handbook, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (role)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/secretaries-and-administrative-assistants.htm) 2. [BLS: Occupational Outlook Handbook, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (duties)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/secretaries-and-administrative-assistants.htm) 3. [BLS: Occupational Outlook Handbook, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (pay)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/secretaries-and-administrative-assistants.htm) 4. [BLS: Occupational Outlook Handbook, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (qualities)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/secretaries-and-administrative-assistants.htm) ## Keep reading - [### How to Hire a Full-Time Executive Assistant, Step by Step To hire a full-time executive assistant, define the role, research pay, write the job post, source candidates, interview with real work samples, check references and make an offer. Expect to spend weeks on it. BLS reports the May 2025 median pay for executive administrative assistants at $76,590 a year. Read](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/how-to-hire-an-executive-assistant) - [### How to Give a Virtual Assistant Access to Your Accounts Safely Give a virtual assistant access safely in five moves. Sign an NDA first. Grant only the access the job needs. Use each tool's delegate or sharing feature instead of your password. Require a password manager and multifactor authentication. When the work ends, remove access using a written offboarding checklist. Read](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/give-a-virtual-assistant-access-safely) - [### How to Delegate as a Business Owner To delegate as a business owner, pick one repeatable task, write the goal and steps, hand it to a capable person with clear limits, and check the first results closely. Then follow up on a set schedule and measure the time you get back. Start with three tasks and add more. Read](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/how-to-delegate-as-a-business-owner) ## Get your week back. Book a free, no-obligation strategy call. We will map out what to hand off first, and you leave with a plan whether or not you become a client. [Book a free strategy call](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/contact)[or email info@peachtreeva.com](mailto:info@peachtreeva.com) ![Sarah Harlan, Client Experience & Operations Manager](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/_astro/sarah-harlan.DtVquYwL_2b0Qn7.webp) ![Darleen Priday, Vice President of Business Development](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/_astro/darleen-priday.jiyh6aPr_1PLR4H.webp) ![November Lee, Marketing Manager](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/_astro/november-lee.Cro_USs7_Z1Yhdwg.webp)