Problem-first guide
How much does an executive assistant cost, and when does AI make sense instead
Last updated September 3, 2026
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a $76,590 median annual wage for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in May 2025. An employer's full cost is higher after payroll taxes, benefits, recruiting, equipment, software, management time, and coverage are included.
AI makes sense for repeatable digital work that can be checked, such as inbox triage, meeting briefs, reminders, drafts, and research. Hire a person when the value comes from judgment, discretion, relationship management, negotiation, and owning a changing set of outcomes.
Or hand it to Pally
Free to start. No app to install.
A practical approach
What to do.
- 01
Start with a wage benchmark
Use the Bureau of Labor Statistics national median as a reference point, then check state and metropolitan wage data for your hiring market. The May 2025 median for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants is $76,590, while actual offers vary with location, experience, industry, responsibilities, and schedule. A national median is useful for orientation and weak as a final budget. Write the role first, because a calendar coordinator and a senior partner to the founder are different jobs.
- 02
Calculate the full cost
Add employer payroll taxes, benefits, paid time off, recruiting, onboarding, equipment, software, workspace, management time, and coverage during absence to the wage or salary. Ask your payroll provider and benefits broker for numbers tied to your location and plan. Contractor or agency quotes package costs differently, so compare the same scope and availability. A simple spreadsheet is enough, but leaving out overhead makes a full-time hire look artificially close to a tool or part-time service.
- 03
Price the work left undone
Estimate what missed follow-ups, weak meeting preparation, scheduling delays, administrative errors, and founder distraction cost the business. Use recent examples rather than an optimistic forecast. Then identify work that can be deleted, standardized, or handled by existing software before assigning it to a new hire. This exercise cannot capture every benefit of a trusted assistant, especially judgment and emotional load. It prevents you from evaluating the role only as an expense without measuring the work it protects.
- 04
Test AI on bounded tasks
Choose low-risk digital tasks with clear inputs and review points, such as preparing a morning brief, finding messages that need replies, drafting follow-ups, summarizing meeting notes, or setting reminders. Track time saved, correction work, missed context, and access concerns for several real weeks. AI can be inexpensive beside a salary and still be the wrong tool for sensitive judgment. Keep human approval on messages, purchases, invitations, and commitments until the process proves dependable.
The Pally option
The short version: text Pally
Pally is one AI option with a Free plan, a $25 monthly Pro plan, and a $100 monthly Max plan as of September 3, 2026. It works through native texts and can handle connected-app briefs, reminders, research, drafts, and approved actions; Max adds calls to businesses and a dedicated phone number. Compare those supported tasks with the role you actually need rather than treating either AI or a person as a universal substitute.
Morning brief
One text every morning with what actually matters: your day, your inbox, and the things you said you'd do.
See the recipeInbox, triaged
Ask what actually needs you. Pally reads the pile, flags the few, and drafts the replies.
See the recipePre-meeting briefs
Walk in knowing who's in the room, your history, and what's still open, without doing the homework.
See the recipeOptions
Other tools people use
Fair alternatives, including ones that overlap with Pally.
Upwork
Upwork fits founders who want to test a narrower remote-assistance scope before creating a full-time role.
Contractor availability and context can be narrower, and you still need clear procedures and quality review.
Orchid
Orchid fits founders comparing a text-based assistant for morning rundowns, reply drafts, and meeting booking.
Its FAQ lists Gmail and Google Calendar as its current integrations.
Hey Noah
Hey Noah fits founders comparing help with scheduling, action-item extraction, and phone calls over email or text.
Access is gated.
Lindy
Lindy fits a work-focused trial around inbox, scheduling, meeting, and follow-up tasks.
A software assistant does not take broad ownership of relationships, priorities, and ambiguous executive work.
Martin
Martin fits a trial covering calendar management, email drafts, reminders, to-dos, and voice access.
Voice, notifications, and settings live in its iOS app.
Questions
Frequently asked questions.
Is the salary the full cost of an executive assistant?+
No. Employers also budget for payroll taxes, benefits, recruiting, onboarding, equipment, software, management, paid time off, and coverage needs.
Should I hire part time before full time?+
A part-time or contracted trial can reveal the real workload when tasks are well defined. A full-time role fits better when availability, deep context, and changing priorities are central to the value.
Which executive assistant tasks fit AI best?+
Start with repeatable digital tasks that have reliable source data and a clear review point. Inbox triage, briefs, reminders, draft preparation, and research are easier to test than negotiation or sensitive relationship management.
Keep reading
