How to become an executive assistant in Australia + salary guide

Admin work forms the backbone of Australian businesses, with almost a quarter of a million general clerks working across the country, according to the ABS. That makes it the third most common occupation in Australia behind only sales assistants and registered nurses. That scale reflects that admin skills are trusted, transferable and essential in every industry. For many admin professionals, the next step is stepping into a more influential, better-paid role. With the right qualifications, everyday tasks like scheduling, coordinating and communication evolve into high-impact responsibilities that sit at the heart of leadership teams.

The best part is that becoming an executive assistant isn’t complicated once you know what to look for. Executive assistant courses teach you the project management and business skills that separate admin assistants from executive assistants. The executive assistant role description has evolved far, far beyond just answering phones and is now more of a strategic partnership with senior leaders who need someone capable of making independent decisions. 

This guide breaks down what executive assistants do, which executive assistant course fits your situation and how to position yourself as the right hire. 

What does an executive assistant do?

Executive assistants take care of the behind-the-scenes work that keeps senior leaders functioning at their best. They manage schedules, coordinate complex projects and deal with the administrative chaos that would otherwise keep executives tied up with busywork instead of thinking strategically about what moves the business forward.

Research shows that more than half of executives point to administrative tasks as to where they need the most support. Bookkeeping causes headaches for 49% of senior leaders, scheduling meetings frustrates 45%, and responding to information requests drains time for 35%. Your job as an executive assistant is to remove these pain points so your executive can focus on high-value decisions that require their expertise.

The work is wildly different depending on your industry and which executive you support, but these are the core responsibilities you’ll handle:

• Coordinate daily schedules: You’ll balance meeting requests from multiple stakeholders whilst carving out focused work time. Protecting your executive’s calendar from overload means saying no to requests that don’t warrant their personal involvement.

• Coordinating travel: Booking flights, hotels and ground transportation sounds fun until you’re juggling last-minute changes across three continents. The best executive assistants create comprehensive travel packs with every document your exec might need to prevent crisis calls from airport lounges.

• Document prep: You’ll compile briefing notes, format presentations and draft correspondence that represents your executive’s voice accurately. The quality of the materials you produce directly impacts how prepared your executive appears in important meetings.

• Inbox cleanup: Sorting through incoming emails and requests and deciding what really needs your exec’s attention versus what you can resolve yourself prevents information overload that kills productivity.

Skills and qualities you need

Executive assistants need both operational excellence and sound business judgment that can only be developed through experience and formal training. Your effectiveness depends on technical skills that make you efficient plus interpersonal intelligence that helps you navigate office politics and stakeholder relationships successfully:

Executive assistant qualifications and courses

You don’t legally need formal qualifications to become an executive assistant in Australia. Plenty of successful EAs started in reception or admin roles and worked their way up through experience alone. However, completing a Certificate IV or Diploma dramatically improves your job prospects and starting salary because it proves you’ve got the skills employers want without needing months of on-the-job training. 

Formal qualifications matter more now than they did even five years ago. The executive assistant field has become fiercely competitive as more and more people look for careers where they can work from home. A nationally recognised qualification shows potential employers that you’re serious about fulfilling your potential and that you’ve got the technical skills to manage complex projects.

Monarch’s online courses let you study whilst working your current job, building credentials that lead to higher-paying roles. The self-paced structure means you can complete assessments around your existing commitments rather than sacrificing income to attend classes. Here are the qualifications that will help you become an executive assistant much faster: 

Certificate IV in Business Administration

The Certificate IV in Business Administration will equip potential EAs with a broad range of business administrative skills, covering topics like:

• Business operations management: You’ll develop your skills to support and coordinate day-to-day business operations, including managing workflows, prioritising tasks, maintaining administrative systems and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives within an organisation.

• Planning and managing work using digital technologies: You’ll gain practical experience in assisting with the planning, coordination and monitoring of projects, including scheduling tasks, managing documentation, communicating with stakeholders and supporting project outcomes within agreed timelines and budgets.

• Producing professional documents and spreadsheets: You’ll learn how to leverage your communication skills to produce professional, high-level business documents such as reports, briefs, proposals, policies, and correspondence, ensuring clarity, accuracy and alignment.

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Diploma of Project Management

Senior executives handling five major projects at once need assistants who can track all the moving parts without constantly asking for guidance. This Diploma prepares you with:

• Comprehensive project skills: You’ll learn to manage scope, time, cost, risk, and quality across multiple initiatives happening at the same time.

• Team coordination expertise: The course teaches you to handle project communications and maintain quality standards when everything’s happening at once.

• International standards: Course material matches PMBOK and ISO 21500:2016 standards, so the project management principles work regardless of which industry or country you’re in.

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Certificate IV in Project Management Practice

Add project coordination skills to your executive assistant toolkit without committing to a full diploma:

• Practical workplace scenarios: You’ll learn about scope management, stakeholder engagement, time management and cost techniques through situations that mirror real executive assistant work.

• Accelerated completion possible: The self-paced structure means organised students can finish quicker than the standard 12 to 24 months.

• Immediate application: Managing business risk and using digital collaboration tools applies to executive assistant work from day one rather than sitting unused until some future role.

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Certificate IV in Leadership and Management

Leadership training matters tremendously if you’re planning to move into management yourself or support multiple executives across teams. Here’s how Monarch’s Certificate IV in Leadership and Management gets you there:

• Team facilitation basics: You’ll learn to handle difficult conversations and coordinate stakeholders who all think their priorities should come first.

• Operational planning focus: Meeting organisation and business planning are executive assistant responsibilities that require strategic thinking instead of just following instructions.

• Emotional intelligence development: Knowing how to manage relationships with senior leaders who have strong personalities prevents drama and builds trust. 

Executive assistant salary in Australia

Entry level executive assistant salary in Australia starts around $61,000 per year. The average executive assistant salary is about $81,000 for mid-level roles, whilst senior executive assistant salary climbs well over $100,000 once you’ve proven your value supporting C-suite execs.

Pay for executive assistant positions varies based on a few factors:

• Your qualifications are important because a Certificate IV or Diploma from Monarch bumps your starting salary compared to candidates without formal training.

• Company size affects your earnings since large corporations usually pay more than small businesses.

• Industry choice makes a difference, too. Corporate finance and consulting firms pay the highest executive assistant salaries, whilst government positions come with lower base pay but better benefits.

• Location plays a role as well, with Sydney and Melbourne commanding higher salaries than regional areas.

This is what you can expect from your executive assistant salary:

*Salaries sourced from Payscale AU & are current at time of static snapshot, 2026.

Career progression of entry-level to senior executive assistant roles 

Executive assistant roles come with clear advancement opportunities that reward your growing expertise. You can climb the traditional ladder toward senior positions or pivot into specialist roles that command higher salaries and more responsibility.

Typical career stages and job titles

Most executive assistants spend several years working their way from supporting mid-level managers to backing C-suite leaders. How fast you progress depends on how quickly you can prove you can handle bigger challenges without constant supervision:

How to move from administrative assistant to executive assistant

Administrative assistants follow instructions and complete routine tasks under supervision. Executive assistants make independent decisions about priorities and represent their executive when necessary. That’s a massive jump in responsibility and trust. 

Start by volunteering for work outside your job description to prove you can think strategically. Take on complicated projects like preparing board reports or coordinating major company events. The goal is to show your manager you can handle problems before they explode and fix issues without needing constant input.

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Leadership or specialist opportunities

Working closely with highly experienced business leaders gives you knowledge and connections that can open unexpected career doors like:

• Office manager: Oversee facilities, supervise admin staff and manage office budgets whilst keeping operations running smoothly.

• Project coordinator: Your planning and communications skills work perfectly for coordinating complex initiatives that involve multiple teams and tight deadlines.

• Operations manager: Running day-to-day business operations uses the same systems you’ve developed as an executive assistant.

• Human resources specialist: Experience managing schedules and handling confidential information prepares you well for HR roles involving recruitment and employee relations.

Working with C-suite executives

Supporting CEOs, CFOs, COOs and other senior leaders requires exceptional knowledge about what deserves their attention versus what you can handle on your own. You’ll attend high-level meetings and interact with board members all the time, which means knowing when to escalate issues and when to resolve them yourself.

The relationship becomes more of a strategic partnership than typical boss-employee dynamics. You’ll prepare briefing materials for board presentations and sometimes make decisions on your executive’s behalf when they’re unavailable. C-suite executive assistants can earn salaries comparable to mid-level managers because they function almost as an extension of the executive themselves.

Job outlook and demand

Executive assistant roles are growing steadily as Australian businesses figure out that senior leaders need proper support to be effective. Employment projections show Professionals and Managers will make up 40.7% of all jobs by 2033, up from 39.1% in 2023. More senior leaders means more executive assistants needed to keep them organised and productive.

White-collar employment in general is also expanding. Growth projections for 2025–26 show an increase of 1.5%, which means 81,200 new workers in office-based roles across knowledge-based industries. This creates consistent demand for executive assistants who can handle the administrative complexity that comes withrunning modern businesses.

Remote and hybrid work arrangements have completely changed what’s possible for executive assistants. Research shows that 88% of Australian workers want to work from home at least some of the time, with 60% preferring hybrid arrangements that split days between office and home. Companies have figured out that physical proximity matters way less than being responsive and competent, which means you can now support executives in different cities or even different countries without relocating.

Is being an executive assistant a good career?

Executive assistant work can be brilliant if you thrive on organisation and helping others succeed. The pay is very competitive and comes with clear advancement opportunities, and job satisfaction beats most admin roles. Surveys show that 82% of executive assistants report being happy at work, ranking third in career satisfaction amongst jobs that don’t need a degree. 

The combination of strong demand, competitive salaries, flexible work arrangements and high job satisfaction makes executive assistant work a sustainable long-term career rather than just a stepping stone into something else. You’re building skills that transfer across industries whilst earning good money and maintaining work-life balance through hybrid arrangements.

FAQs about becoming an executive assistant in Australia

How do I become an EA with no experience?

Start in entry-level admin roles like receptionist or office assistant to build the skills you need to become an executive assistant without a degree. You can also complete a Certificate IV in Business (Administration) or Diploma of Project Management whilst working to accelerate your progression into executive assistant positions.

What is the difference between an executive assistant and an administrative assistant?

Administrative assistants handle routine tasks like filing and answering phones under supervision. Executive assistants make independent decisions, manage complex projects, represent their executives in meetings and work strategically with senior leadership.

What are the top 3 skills of an executive assistant?

The top three skills executive assistants need to be successful are:

• Calendar management to juggle competing priorities

• Clear written and verbal communication to represent their executive professionally

• Discretion to handle confidential information without breaking trust with senior leadership

Is an EA higher than a PA?

Executive assistants usually have higher positions than personal assistants. EAs focus exclusively on business priorities and make strategic decisions, whilst PAs handle broader tasks like personal errands and basic admin work.

How much do executive assistants earn in Australia?

Entry-level executive assistants earn around $61,000 per year in Australia. Mid-level roles average $81,000, whilst senior executive assistants supporting C-suite leaders make $101,000 or more depending on industry and location.

Your organisational superpowers deserve proper pay

You’re already managing competing priorities, keeping things running smoothly and coordinating chaos. The only difference between what you’re doing now and earning a proper executive assistant salary is having qualifications on paper that prove you can do it at the highest level. 

Demand for skilled executive assistants keeps growing as Australian businesses realise senior leaders need support to function properly. Entry-level positions start at $61,000 and climb to $101,000+ for senior roles, with remote and hybrid work meaning you’re not committed to an office five days a week. 

Monarch’s online courses get you qualified within 12 to 24 months whilst you keep working your current job. Speak with a Monarch course adviser about which pathway suits your situation best.