2025 State of the Profession: Key Takeaways for the Year (and What’s Ahead for 2026)
Each year, the American Society of Administrative Professionals (ASAP) releases its State of the Profession Report, one of the most robust benchmarks we have for understanding how the administrative field is evolving. The 2025 report is especially revealing. It shows a profession in motion – expanding responsibilities, rising expectations, deepening technical skill requirements, and a workplace transformed by AI adoption.
Below, we break down the most important takeaways from this year’s report, and where the profession is heading next.
Article Contents:
Career Stages Are Becoming Clearer And More Strategic Than Ever
AI Adoption Has More Than Doubled (And It’s Reshaping the Role)
Technology Skills Dominate the 2025 Training Priorities
Compensation Continues to Rise
Professional Development Is Expanding, But Access Still Isn’t Equal
The Profession Is Evolving (Fast)
What This Means for 2026: Where the Profession Is Headed
Final Thoughts
Career Stages Are Becoming Clearer And More Strategic Than Ever
For years, inconsistent job titles have made career mapping difficult. The report validates ASAP’s four-stage Career Stages Framework: Assisting, Supporting, Partnering, and Leading.
While job titles still vary widely, Administrative Professional responsibilities consistently move from tactical to strategic as professionals progress. In fact, Administrative Professionals report an average of 24 distinct duties, and complexity rises significantly at each stage, especially in leadership, systems thinking, and project ownership.
This shift is accelerating the transition from “support roles” to strategic partnership roles.
AI Adoption Has More Than Doubled (And It’s Reshaping the Role)
One of the report’s biggest revelations: AI adoption among Administrative Professionals jumped from 26% to 53% in one year.
73% of Administrative Professionals using AI are using ChatGPT
13% to 43% surge in Microsoft Copilot usage
Google Gemini jumped from 1% to 12%
Leading-stage Administrative Professionals, or Executive Assistants, are now the most likely to use AI tools (65%), showing that AI is increasingly tied to higher-level strategic output and workflow optimization.
This isn’t just a tech trend, it’s a defining shift in how Administrative Professionals manage time, information, and expectations.
Technology Skills Dominate the 2025 Training Priorities
Seven of the top 15 training priorities for 2025 are technology-driven, with AI tools topping the list:
AI for workflow optimization: 60%
AI for writing & research: 51%
Automation tools: 39%
Data visualization: 31%
Even at early career stages, Administrative Professionals now see AI, automation, and data literacy as non-negotiable skills for the future.
Leadership skills: strategic planning, executive-level presentation, and systems thinking also increase in importance as professionals move into Partnering and Leading roles, which are Executive Assistant level roles.
Compensation Continues to Rise
Average compensation climbed to $69,643, with 44% of Administrative Professionals now earning over $70k annually.
Growth slowed slightly (3.7% vs last year’s 5.9%), but the upward trend remains strong.
Career stage strongly predicts pay:
Assisting: ~$57,125
Supporting: ~$64,030
Partnering: ~$70,715
Leading: ~$84,102
Administrative Professionals supporting executives earn 22% more than those who do not.
And nearly 40% of Administrative Professionals receive annual bonuses, especially those in corporate environments.
Professional Development Is Expanding, But Access Still Isn’t Equal
The profession is investing more in growth:
72% of APs received internal training
59% completed external training, up from 52% last year
68% of external training is employer funded
Certification is surging: 59% of Administrative Professionals now hold at least one certification, up from 27% in 2021. Leading Administrative Professionals lead the way with a 72% certification rate.
However, access to development funds drops sharply at the Supporting stage, an important reminder that mid-career Administrative Professionals often face the toughest battles for resources despite carrying significant responsibility.
The Profession Is Evolving (Fast)
Across duties, Administrative Professionals increasingly report involvement in:
Strategic planning
Data analysis
Executive-level initiatives
Technology implementation
Vendor management
Large-scale project ownership
And Administrative Professionals now perform an average of 24 task types, showing the breadth and depth of modern administrative work.
What This Means for 2026: Where the Profession Is Headed
Based on the data, 2026 will mark a clearer shift into a new era for Administrative Professionals.
1. AI Fluency Will Become a Career Differentiator
With AI usage doubling and training demand skyrocketing, AI isn’t optional, it’s now a core competency. Administrative Professionals who integrate AI into workflows will rise fastest through the career stages, especially into Partnering and Leading roles.
2. Hybrid Skillsets Will Define the “New Admin”
Expect Administrative Professionals to blend:
Project management
Data literacy
AI-assisted execution
Executive-level communication
Organizational leadership
These hybrid roles will reshape Executive Assistant and administrative expectations entirely.
3. Organizations Will Reevaluate Titles and Structures
The report highlights major title inconsistencies, but clear career stage data. Expect more organizations to formalize internal Administrative Professional pathways, adjust titles, and define expectations based on competency rather than historical hierarchy.
4. Professional Development Will Become a Retention Strategy
As compensation rises and responsibilities expand, Administrative Professionals will look for employers who invest in them. Companies that offer AI training, leadership development, and certification pathways will attract top admin talent.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 ASAP State of the Profession Report paints a vivid picture of a workforce in transition. Administrative Professionals are stepping into more strategic, technologically advanced, and organizationally critical roles than ever before.
As we move toward 2026, one thing is clear: the administrative profession is not just evolving, it's accelerating. The organizations prepared to support, train, and empower Administrative Professionals will be the ones that benefit most from this transformation.
