In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, administrative professionals are playing an increasingly strategic role. The American Society of Administrative Professionals’ (ASAP) sixth annual State of the Profession Report, which includes benchmarking survey results from more than 3,700 administrative professionals (APs), sheds light on how much the profession is transforming and offers critical insights into emerging trends in skills training, career advancement, compensation, and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).
Painting a detailed picture of the modern administrative landscape, the State of the Profession report is designed to help individuals and organizations better understand the evolving capabilities of today’s APs to drive business success in an increasingly dynamic environment.
Key findings from this year’s report highlight the following:
- The validity of the ASAP Career Stages Framework as a tool to map career progression and benchmark skills.
- How APs are elevating their responsibilities and upskilling – especially with the use of AI tools.
- How compensation is shaping up for APs across career stages and industries.
- How professional development is evolving for APs, with increased employer investment, higher certification rates, and greater engagement in training.
Validity of the ASAP Career Stages Framework
Job title inconsistencies across the administrative profession can make it challenging for APs to benchmark their skills and map career growth. While executive assistant and administrative assistant are the most common job titles, the survey responses include over a thousand other titles, and more than a quarter of APs report a disconnect between their current title and the scope of their role.
To provide a simple, scalable, and flexible roadmap for administrative career progression, regardless of current title, the ASAP Career Stages Framework outlines four progressive stages: Assisting, Supporting, Partnering, and Leading. Though years of experience tend to increase, with Assisting APs more likely to have less than five years of experience, Supporting and Partnering more than five, and Leading more than 10, what is most significant is that with each career stage, the level of responsibility, autonomy, and decision-making increases. The survey also reveals that AI adoption, strategic skills, and compensation increase with each career stage. These findings show that responsibilities and strategic value add to the business—more than title or even tenure in a role—are career progression indicators.
Continuous learning and upskilling remain key drivers of advancement, empowering administrative professionals to take on greater responsibilities and thrive in a quickly changing workplace. By continuously developing new competencies—from emerging technologies and strategic communication to project management and leadership—APs will be in the best possible position for increased recognition, pay, and impact.
Technology and AI Skills Take Center Stage in 2025
Of the top 15 skill development priorities for 2025, seven are related to technology skills, while the others mostly fall into the categories of leadership and efficiency. This distribution highlights the strong demand by all APs for technology-focused training.
As APs advance through career stages, their skill development priorities shift—from building foundational technology and project management skills in the Assisting stage to focusing more on leadership capabilities such as strategic planning and executive-level systems thinking. Technology remains essential throughout, especially as AI adoption among APs has more than doubled in a year, now reaching 53 percent. AI tools for writing and research are the most cited, with ChatGPT and Grammarly leading the way. However, the fastest-growing area is AI for workflow optimization, with Microsoft Copilot adoption jumping from 13 percent in 2024 to 43 percent in 2025, and Google Gemini increasing from 1 percent to 12 percent.
AP Compensation Overview
While compensation overall continues to rise —reaching an average salary of nearly $70,000 in 2025, with 44 percent of APs reporting incomes that exceed this amount—access to higher earning potential hinges on performance, level of responsibility, and access to professional development.
Of the APs who received a salary increase in the past year, most cited performance as the top factor, over other reasons such as company-wide adjustments. Of those who received a performance-based raise, 51 percent linked their increase to the completion of external professional development training, such as attending an online course or training conference outside of their organization. This highlights the importance of access to these learning and development opportunities for APs.
While experience impacts earnings, compensation is also shaped by career stage, role type, and industry. Assisting roles, which are more focused on foundational administrative tasks such as document organization and scheduling, average approximately $57,000 per year, while Leading APs driving strategic initiatives earn over $84,000. Corporate sector roles, especially in large companies, tend to pay more than higher education, government, and nonprofit administrative positions. Additionally, APs who directly support an executive or executive team in their role earn an average of $12,000 more than their peers in non-executive support roles.
A Growing Commitment to Professional Development for APs
The diverse skills and responsibilities of today’s APs, coupled with macro-level changes in work practices, highlight the importance of continued professional development training.
With growing emphasis on professional development by both APs and their employers, certification rates have risen to 59 percent (from 27 percent in 2021), while training completion rates exceed 70 percent for internal training and 59 percent for external training. The most common certification overall remains notary/notary public (52 percent), followed by the Professional Administrative Certification of Excellence (PACE) at 25 percent. This surge in certifications underscores a growing commitment to professional excellence within the AP community.
As the role of APs continues to evolve, the findings in the 2025 ASAP State of the Profession report serve as an essential resource for individuals and organizations seeking to stay ahead of the curve. By highlighting key trends in administrative skills development, career growth, compensation, and AI integration, the data illustrates and redefines what it means to be an administrative professional in today’s world. Armed with these insights, employers and professionals alike can make more informed decisions to foster growth, recognize potential, and drive long-term success.
