Executive support workload benchmark by leadership function in 2026
A practical benchmark for sizing executive support across founder, sales, product, people, legal, and board-facing workflows.
Key stats
| Measure | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Executive assistant median wage | $74,260 | BLS median annual wage for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in May 2024. [2] |
| Communication share of work time | 60% | Microsoft's 2024 Work Trend Index reports that users spent 60% of time in email, chats, and meetings in Microsoft 365 apps. [6] |
| Workers struggling with work volume | 68% | Microsoft's 2024 Work Trend Index reports that 68% of people struggle with the pace and volume of work. [6] |
| Estimated generative AI value | $2.6T to $4.4T annually | McKinsey's estimate across 63 use cases and industries, not a forecast for one executive support team. [13] |
Key takeaways
- Use the same workload brief when comparing direct, fractional, managed, or outsourced support.
- Founder and board work usually needs tighter confidentiality and escalation rules than routine scheduling.
- Sales, product, people, and legal leaders often need different support outputs even when the request volume looks similar.
- Automation can reduce drafting and retrieval work, but it does not replace ownership of judgment, access, or follow through.
Support model comparison
| Model | Cost anchor | Management |
|---|---|---|
| Founder or CEO | Calendar, inbox, investors, board, and priority review | High discretion, direct escalation, confidential context |
| Sales or customer leader | Stakeholder routing, travel, customer meetings, and follow up | Fast response windows and relationship context |
| Product or operations leader | Decision forums, project status, research, and action tracking | Cross-functional coordination and records |
| People, legal, or compliance leader | Sensitive cases, deadlines, documents, and controlled access | Narrow permissions and explicit review points |
What the benchmark measures
Executive support workload is a mix of communication, coordination, preparation, records, and judgment. O*NET describes executive administrative work as including research, statistical reports, information requests, correspondence, and meeting scheduling. That is broader than calendar administration alone. [1][2]
The public wage benchmark gives a labor-market reference, not an all-in budget. The workload brief should also record the number of executives supported, meeting volume, travel, sensitive material, response windows, and backup requirements. [3][4][5]
How workload changes by leadership function
Founder and CEO support tends to concentrate around access, investor or board coordination, priorities, and decisions that cannot wait. Sales and customer leadership support tends to have more external scheduling, relationship context, travel, and follow-up. Product and operations support usually needs decision records, research, project status, and cross-functional action tracking. [1][6][7]
People, legal, and compliance workflows require a different control model. The volume may be lower, but permissions, document handling, review points, and escalation carry more weight. Use least-privilege access and keep final judgment with the accountable leader. [1][8][9]
Turn the benchmark into a hiring decision
Count four weeks of actual work. Separate recurring tasks from exceptions, mark which requests need executive judgment, and record how often work is blocked by missing context or approvals. Then price each support model against that same brief. [10][11][12]
Technology can help with retrieval, drafting, and meeting summaries. Microsoft's research reports that employees spend most Microsoft 365 time communicating, while McKinsey estimates that generative AI could create $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion in annual value across 63 use cases. Those figures support testing better workflows, but they do not remove the need for human review, access rules, or accountable ownership. [6][13]
Sources
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants, O*NET OnLine.
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook.
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
- Business Formation Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau.
- ILOSTAT Labour Statistics, International Labour Organization.
- 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report, Microsoft and LinkedIn.
- Dear Manager, You Are Holding Too Many Meetings, Harvard Business Review.
- World Development Indicators, World Bank DataBank.
- Creating helpful, reliable, people first content, Google Search Central.
- Nonfarm Business Sector: Labor Productivity, Federal Reserve Economic Data.
- Productivity Statistics, OECD Data Explorer.
- Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide, Google Search Central.
- The economic potential of generative AI, McKinsey Global Institute.