According to new statistics, businesses increasingly relying on PAs’ versatility as well as core skills. Salaries for Personal Assistants (PAs) have grown strongly over the past year – outstripping all other general staffing roles to make PAs one of the highest earning admin roles.

Office Angels says that this is testament to the increasing value of the PA as a key figure within many organisations in a challenging economic climate, acting both as a lynchpin for the smooth operation of the business and as a versatile resource with wide-ranging responsibilities and a varied skill set. The latest monthly Office Angels Salary Watch report, which measures average salaries across the permanent and temporary market for administrative and non-professional services roles, reveals that permanent PA salaries grew 4.54 percent over the year to the end of August, taking the average pay packet to £29,338 – one of the highest of all admin positions. In the temporary market, PAs now command one of the highest hourly rates (at £12 per hour.)

David Clubb, Managing Director of Office Angels, commented: “Although the shadow of recession is still hanging over UK plc, this is actually a great time to be a PA, with salaries high and growing strongly, thanks to more and more companies recognising the increasingly valuable role that PAs play in the success of their business.”

“Good PAs have always been highly regarded by their bosses as trusted and dependable members of staff – the unsung heroes who keep everything running smoothly for the executive team. But we are now seeing PAs becoming adept at a wide variety of skills and disciplines above and beyond their core job description, such as recruitment, marketing or invoicing. This versatility has added another dimension to their value to employers, helping them buck the trend of sluggish salary growth in what continues to be a challenging economic climate.”

Overall, permanent general staffing salaries were up 0.19 percent on last year, despite a slight dip in the month of August. The temporary market remained stable month-on-month, but was also up slightly on the previous year. Like PAs, office managers and secretaries also benefitted from pay growth over the year, with average secretary’s salaries up by 0.78 percent to £22,050.

The figures also reveal that administrators are the most in demand for both temporary and permanent vacancies. Although administrator salaries on the permanent side have fallen by an average of 4.11 percent on the year, they still offer one of the highest paid salaries, after secretaries, PAs and office managers, at £20,517. Permanent PA salaries in the East of England are now among the highest in England, after London and the South East, at an average of £24,477. This is an increase of 2.57 percent compared to last year – the best pay progression compared with other general staffing jobs in the area. Salaries for administrators in the region increased by 1.89 percent – the highest monthly increase compared with other parts of the UK.