New York has more executive assistants than any other US metro area: 76,950 of them in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, earning a median of $83,840 a year. That concentration is 2.74 times the national share of jobs, which tells you how central the role is to how the city does business. This guide covers what a New York EA costs to hire in-house, what coverage on Eastern time should really mean, where New York owners use EAs most, and how a placed assistant from Ryz Labs compares. Written by Ryz Labs, November 2026.
These are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics figures for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (occupation 43-6011) in the New York metro area (BLS area 35620), May 2025.
Wages aren't the whole cost. The BLS employer-cost release puts benefits at about 30% of private-industry compensation. Dividing the New York median by 0.70 gives a loaded cost of roughly $119,800 a year, or about $9,980 a month, before recruiting fees, desk space and equipment. A senior EA at the 75th percentile would be well above that. The national version of this math is in our executive assistant cost guide.
New York runs on Eastern time, and much of the country takes its cue from New York's clock. Markets open at 9:30 AM, but the inbox fills well before that, and deals and client dinners push the day late. A useful New York EA needs to be live during your working hours, not catching up overnight.
Three practical tests for any assistant, wherever they sit:
If an assistant's working day overlaps yours by only a few hours, all three tests get harder. That's why the first question to ask any provider is which hours, in Eastern time, are guaranteed. Our guide to where Athena assistants are located shows the clock math for overseas schedules.
New York's economy is heavy on industries where the principal's time is the product, and EA work follows that pattern.
Fund managers, advisers and deal teams need calendars defended around market hours, investor meetings scheduled across time zones, and travel rebooked fast. Confidentiality and accuracy matter more than speed of typing.
Partners and solo practitioners use EAs for client scheduling, intake coordination, conflict-check logistics and keeping billable time free of admin. The assistant isn't doing legal work; they're protecting the hours that produce it.
Brokers, developers and investors juggle showings, closings, lenders, inspectors and building managers. An EA who owns the calendar and follow-ups is often the difference between a deal that closes and one that drifts.
Founders in these fields live on calendars full of shoots, press, partners and travel. The EA's value is triage: knowing which requests deserve a yes.
Service prices are as published by each company in November 2026. For the full field, see best executive assistant services.
We place dedicated executive assistants and virtual assistants on your team who work US business hours, with New York hours specifically covered, and who communicate in fluent English. Each one has been screened by a Ryz recruiter before you see them. A dedicated executive assistant costs $3,000 a month and a dedicated virtual assistant $2,000 a month, month to month in both cases. Against the loaded New York median, a Ryz EA's $36,000 a year is a fraction of the in-house cost, though you give up having the person in your office. Ryz covers any US time zone: your assistant keeps your Eastern time business day, from the first call to the last email.
The process is short. One conversation, and you come away with a plan, a price and the names of the people we'd put forward. Once you say go, people can typically start in under two weeks; some roles take three to six weeks. If your business also needs a developer or a product or project manager, we place those too, so the EA and the engineer join one team. Ryz has 200+ people and is trusted by Fortune 500 engineering teams. Book a call, or compare first in Ryz Labs vs Athena.
The BLS May 2025 median for the New York metro is $83,840 a year, with the middle half earning $74,080 to $102,020. With benefits at about 30% of compensation, a median in-house EA costs roughly $119,800 a year.
About 76,950 in the New York metro area in May 2025, the largest count of any US metro, per BLS OEWS.
Yes, if their schedule is built around Eastern time. Ask any provider which Eastern hours are guaranteed every weekday. Ryz assistants work US business hours, including New York hours.
In-house makes sense when you need someone physically present or with authority over staff and money. A service or placed assistant makes sense when the work is mostly calendar, inbox and coordination.
$3,000 a month for a dedicated executive assistant, month to month, or $2,000 a month for a virtual assistant.
Metro wage figures were pulled from the BLS public data API on November 14, 2026 (series OEUM003562000000043601101, 04, 08, 12, 13, 14 and 17). Service prices were checked the same day.
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