Dallas-Fort Worth has become one of the country's busiest places to run a company, with a long list of corporate headquarters, a deep real-estate and energy economy, and a growing base of founder-led businesses. That shows up in executive assistant pay: the BLS May 2025 median for the metro was $80,230 a year, about $3,600 above the national median. This Ryz Labs guide (November 2026) covers what DFW owners use an EA for, how Central-time coverage should work, what each hiring route costs over twelve months, and what to ask before you sign anything.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 8,290 executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (occupation 43-6011) in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area (BLS area 19100) in May 2025. The median wage was $80,230, or $38.57 an hour, and the average was $82,780. A quarter earned less than $65,330 and a quarter more than $96,840. The location quotient of 0.69 means the role is less concentrated locally than across the US, so the senior end of the market can be competitive.
Dallas-Fort Worth is less a city than a region: Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, Plano, Frisco and a long ring of suburbs, linked by freeways. That matters for in-house hiring. An executive in Fort Worth recruiting from a pool that lives in Plano is asking someone to take on a long daily drive, and good candidates often say no. Many DFW owners also split their week between an office, job sites and home, so the "office" an assistant would sit in isn't always where the owner is.
A remote assistant sidesteps the commute question entirely. What you lose is someone who can sign for a delivery or set up a conference room. A common DFW compromise is a remote EA for the calendar, inbox and travel, plus a receptionist or office manager on site for the physical tasks.
Executives who have moved here from New York or California often expect the level of EA support they had there. The BLS figures below suggest DFW pay for that level is close to coastal rates, even if other costs are lower.
Arithmetic is ours. The services aren't identical: an in-house hire sits in your office and can manage staff and money; Boldly sells hours; Athena and Ryz each provide one dedicated person. See Athena pricing for its 90-day option, and the EA cost guide for the in-house method.
Dallas runs on Central time. For an owner here, a US business-hours assistant overlaps your whole working day, with New York's morning an hour ahead and the West Coast two hours behind. In practice, write the coverage window into the agreement in Central time, for example 8 AM to 5 PM, and check three things during your first week:
If a provider's assistants are overseas, their day may run overnight locally; a DFW 9 to 5 is 11 PM to 7 AM in Manila in November. Ask how that's sustained. Our guide to where Athena assistants are located has the full clock table.
Here's how we'd answer those questions. Ryz places a dedicated executive assistant or virtual assistant who works on your team, during US business hours, in fluent English, and every candidate is screened by our recruiters. Total committed spend after month one is one month: $3,000 for an executive assistant or $2,000 for a virtual assistant. One conversation produces a plan, a price and the names of the people we'd propose. Say go and people can typically start in under two weeks; some roles take three to six weeks. Ryz covers any US time zone: your assistant keeps your Central time business day.
For DFW companies with a technology backlog, we also place developers and product and project managers, joining the same team as your assistant. Ryz is headquartered in Calabasas, California, has 200+ people and counts Fortune 500 engineering teams among those who trust it. Start a conversation, or compare options in Athena alternatives.
The BLS May 2025 median for Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is $80,230 a year ($38.57 an hour). The middle half earn $65,330 to $96,840.
About $114,600 a year at the median once benefits are added, before recruiting, equipment and office costs.
Yes. On Central time, a US business-hours schedule overlaps your entire day. Put the hours in writing.
If most of the work is your calendar, inbox and judgement calls, an EA. If it's repeatable tasks, a VA. See EA vs VA.
$3,000 a month for a dedicated executive assistant, $2,000 a month for a virtual assistant, both month to month.
Pulled from the BLS public data API on November 14, 2026 (OEUM001910000000043601101, 04, 08, 12, 13, 14, 17). Athena and Boldly figures checked on their sites the same day.
Questions we didn't answer? Email info@ryzlabs.com.
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