jobfacts

Personal assistants and other secretaries

SOC 2020 4215

Personal assistants and other secretaries provide administrative and secretarial support to individuals, departmental or management teams within organisations.

Also calledExecutive assistantEAPersonal assistantPABilingual secretaryBilingual executive assistantand 41 more titles
Typical full-time pay£35,0002025 Provisional
People in the job134,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month2,500↓ 6.1%on last year · 76th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time personal assistants and other secretaries earn between £28,600 and £43,900 a year.

What full-time personal assistants and other secretaries earn, 2025
£35,000 typical£24,400lowest 10%£28,60025%£46,800top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£28,600–£43,900)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£24,400
Lowest 20% earn less than£27,500
25%£28,600
Median£35,000
75%£43,900
Top 20% earn more than£46,800
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £35,000
London£47,900
South East£35,300
East of England£34,800
Yorkshire and The Humber£32,800
Scotland£31,700
West Midlands!£31,700
Wales!£30,500
South West£30,100
North West£30,100
North East!£30,000
East Midlands£27,100
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £35,000
London£47,900
South East£35,300
East of England£34,800
Yorkshire and The Humber£32,800
Scotland£31,700
West Midlands£31,700 (small sample)
Wales£30,500 (small sample)
South West£30,100
North West£30,100
North East£30,000 (small sample)
East Midlands£27,100
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £30,300
  • 2024 £33,500
  • 2025 Provisional£35,000
↑ 16% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 2,500 jobs for personal assistants and other secretaries are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (2 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20262,965
Jul 20262,301
Jun 2026Not published
May 20262,554
Apr 20262,627
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20262,226
Jan 20262,728
Dec 20251,133
Nov 20252,868
Oct 20252,573
Sept 20252,667
Aug 20252,603
Jul 20252,695
Jun 20252,791
May 20253,089
Apr 20252,515
Mar 20252,991
Feb 20252,866
Jan 20252,748
Dec 20241,819
Nov 20242,456
Oct 20242,824
Sept 20242,637
Aug 20243,006
Jul 20243,154
Jun 20243,071
May 20243,481
Apr 20243,350
Mar 20243,160
Feb 20243,063
Jan 20243,361
Dec 20232,760
Nov 20233,000
Oct 20232,815
Sept 20232,767
Aug 20233,127
Jul 20233,358
Jun 20234,265
May 20234,154
Apr 20233,574
Mar 20234,160
Feb 20234,137
Jan 20234,641
Dec 20223,826
Nov 20224,742
Oct 20224,798
Sept 20224,633
Aug 20224,759
Jul 20225,082
Jun 20224,859
May 20225,447
Apr 20224,171
Mar 20225,580
Feb 20224,782
Jan 20225,215
Dec 20214,107
Nov 20214,894
Oct 20214,725
Sept 20214,395
Aug 20213,972
Jul 20214,456
Jun 20213,933
May 20213,757
Apr 20212,932
Mar 20213,944
Feb 20212,289
Jan 20212,447
Dec 20202,005
Nov 20202,138
Oct 20202,196
Sept 20202,164
Aug 20201,890
Jul 20201,874
Jun 20201,781
May 20201,611
Apr 20201,834
Mar 20203,345
Feb 20204,315
Jan 20204,127
Dec 20192,993
Nov 20193,884
Oct 20194,270
Sept 20193,886
Aug 20193,883
Jul 20194,510
Jun 20194,259
May 20194,357
Apr 20193,323
Mar 20194,102
Feb 20193,844
Jan 20194,481
Dec 20182,816
Nov 20184,026
Oct 20184,519
Sept 20183,949
Aug 20183,969
Jul 20183,823
Jun 20184,184
May 20183,763
Apr 20183,484
Mar 20183,740
Feb 20183,578
Jan 20183,971
Dec 20172,561
Nov 20173,514
Oct 20173,609
Sept 20173,562
Aug 20173,653
Jul 20173,504
Jun 20174,138
May 20174,213
Apr 20174,086
Mar 20174,877
Feb 20174,202
Jan 20174,935
Is there a shortage of personal assistants and other secretaries?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was critical.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedUsual
Note: uncertainty in change in hourly wage.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
14%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for secretarial and related occupations, which includes personal assistants and other secretaries. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London1,867
Birmingham149
Manchester141
Rhondda Cynon Taf140
Fife138
Glasgow City136
Leeds101
City of Edinburgh97
Newcastle upon Tyne93
Carmarthenshire81
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where personal assistants and other secretaries are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 49 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from United States, France, Pakistan, ranking it 137th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of personal assistants and other secretaries
1.5%!
17%!
20%
31%
25%
5.7%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–241.5% (small sample)
25–3417% (small sample)
35–4420%
45–5431%
55–6425%
65+5.7% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent32%
Higher education below degree6.4%
A levels or equivalent27%
GCSEs or equivalent26%
Other qualifications!4%
No qualifications!1.8%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent32%
Higher education below degree6.4%
A levels or equivalent27%
GCSEs or equivalent26%
Other qualifications4% (small sample)
No qualifications1.8% (small sample)

Main employers: regulation of the activities of providing health care, education, cultural services and other social services, excluding social security (4.9%), other social work activities without accommodation nec (4.8%), general public administration activities (4.5%), business and other management consultancy activities (4.3%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
32%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

Routes in

Executive assistant

You can get into this job through:

University

You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:

  • business administration
  • business management
  • public administration

Employers will usually accept qualifications in other subjects, providing you have the qualities they are looking for, such as communication, organisational and IT skills.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

College

You could study for a college qualification, which may help you to get a job as a junior executive assistant or personal assistant.

Courses include:

  • business studies
  • business administration
  • T Level in Management and Administration
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Business Administrator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship with an organisation.

This can take up to 2 years to complete. You'll do on-the-job training and spend time with a college or training provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could find a temporary job through a personal or executive assistant recruitment agency to get administration experience. You could then apply for permanent roles.

If you're already working as a business support administrator or secretary, you could move into this role through company training and promotion.

To get work, you'll usually need GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths, A levels, or equivalent qualifications. Employers will also expect you to be well organised and have strong communication skills.

Other routes

You could do training courses with a private training provider before applying for work.

You may also find that recruitment agencies that specialise in placing executive assistants will offer training to help you into employment when you join them.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

You’ll be expected to have excellent IT skills and working knowledge of the main business software packages.

Further information

You can find out more about a career as an executive assistant from the Institute of Administrative Management.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for executive assistant. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Bilingual secretary

You can get into this job through:

University

You could take a modern languages course at university. Courses that combine languages with another subject are also widely available.

Combination subjects include:

  • linguistics
  • business administration and management
  • economics
  • international marketing
  • law
  • English
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

College

You could study languages at college and do a recognised qualification in administration or office skills.

Relevant courses include:

  • business and administration
  • digital skills
  • International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL)
  • T Level in Management and Administration
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do a Business Administrator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, with a commercial company or public sector organisation.

You would need to develop your language skills at the same time, for example through a college or online course.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could start as an admin assistant with an organisation and work your way up through training and promotion.

You may be able to work towards a Certificate in Bilingual Skills, which is equivalent to good A level standard or higher.

Apply directly

You can apply to companies directly if you have some of the relevant skills and knowledge required for this role.

You'll usually need at least one A level, or equivalent, in your second language unless it's your native language, or you're fluent from living abroad.

Employers will also expect you to have GCSEs or relevant office skills and experience.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Most businesses look for bilingual secretaries who can speak a European language like French, German, Spanish or Italian.

Other languages like Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Arabic are also popular.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Chartered Institute of Linguists for professional recognition, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can get more advice about working and training in languages through the Chartered Institute of Linguists.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for bilingual secretary. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Farm secretary

You can get into this job through:

College

You may find it useful to do a college course in a relevant subject like:

  • business administration
  • bookkeeping
  • accounting
  • T Level in Management and Administration
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:

  • Administration Assistant Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Business Administrator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Assistant Farm Manager Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship

These apprenticeships can take up to 2 years to complete.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Other ways in

Apply directly

You could apply directly for jobs. Employers will usually ask for GCSEs grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths, or equivalent qualifications.

You'll also need experience of office administration and knowledge of bookkeeping or accounting.

Other routes

You could take a training course through a professional body like The Institute of Agricultural Secretaries and Administrators.

You can take these courses whether you're working in the farming industry or looking for a change of career.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

An understanding of farming and rural life will be helpful, particularly if you've lived or worked on a farm before.

Further information

You can find out more about working as a farm secretary and other roles through The Institute of Agricultural Secretaries and Administrators and Tasty Careers.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for farm secretary. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • acts as a first point of contact for a manager or team with colleagues and people from outside organisations, fields telephone enquiries, takes and passes on messages
  • arranges appointments, keeps business diary, organises travel arrangements, makes reservations and organises a variety of functions
  • opens, sorts, distributes and files correspondence (in hard copy and electronic) and deals directly with routine correspondence
  • uses appropriate software to produce correspondence, memoranda, reports, presentations and other documents from drafts, handwritten copy or by transcribing dictation
  • arranges and attends meetings, takes minutes and prepares records of proceedings
  • translates documents and liaises with overseas clients and suppliers

Skills

  • communicate by telephone
  • communicate schedules to the people concerned
  • disseminate internal communications
  • disseminate messages to people
  • draft corporate emails
  • file documents
  • fill out forms
  • handle mail
  • keep task records
  • maintain internal communication systems
  • manage personnel agenda
  • monitor staff absences
  • organise business documents
  • organise facilities for office personnel

Knowledge

  • company policies
  • accounting techniques
  • education administration
  • education law
  • labour law

Suits people who like

  • Organising and following procedures
  • Leading and persuading

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for secretarial and related occupations, a group of 7 jobs that includes personal assistants and other secretaries.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 16%about 105,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 2035243,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.