Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants vs Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks: $77K vs $60K Median Pay

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants vs Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks: what changes?

Consider Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants if you want to provide high-level administrative support by conducting research, preparing statistical reports, and handling information requests, as well as performing routine administrative functions such as preparing…. Consider Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks if you would rather coordinate and expedite the flow of work and materials within or between departments of an establishment according to production schedule. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants and Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants

National median pay (2025): $76,590
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Manage and maintain executives' schedules.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 43,300

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants brief

Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks

National median pay (2025): $59,650
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Distribute production schedules or work orders to departments.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 32,600

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 1.3% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks brief

How the national numbers differ

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants has the edge on median pay

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants is at $76,590, compared with $59,650 for Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks.

Typical preparation differs.

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants has the edge on projected growth

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants is at 0% projected growth, compared with -1.3% projected growth for Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks.

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants has the edge on annual openings

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants is at 43,300 annual openings, compared with 32,600 annual openings for Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks.

60.5/ 100

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants

57/ 100

Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants vs Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks

Dimension	Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
Median pay (2025)	$76,590	$59,650
Pay percentile	67.2 percentile	47.4 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	0%	-1.3%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	43,300	32,600
2025 employment	489,300	392,100
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants brief Read Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks brief

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants vs Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants

Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks

How the national numbers differ

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants has the edge on median pay

Typical preparation differs.

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants has the edge on projected growth

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants has the edge on annual openings

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants vs Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks

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