A report from Council for Administration published
earlier this year shows that average salaries for secretaries in the UK were:
| Level 2 |
£13,028 |
GCSE entry, with 6-18 months' experience at this level |
| Level 3 |
£18,370 |
Candidates usually have A levels or even degrees, With 18 months' 3
years relevant experience |
A report produced by the Council for Administration at the end of 2003 shows
that salaries in the south east were higher than average:
| Level 2 |
£14,035 |
GCSE entry, with 6-18 months' experience at this level |
| Level 3 |
£20,519 |
Candidates usually have A levels or even degrees, With 18 months' 3
years relevant experience |
| Level 4 |
£26,198 |
Candidates with 3 – 5 years experience at this level |
These findings have been borne out again this summer by various surveys which
show that salaries in the south east are generally higher than elsewhere in
the UK, apart from London.
There are three things to be aware of here:
- Firstly, the higher you go, the more employers look for solid PA and/or
administrative experience.
- Secondly, the salary depends very much on location, sector, size, type
of organisation and the nature of the role. Larger companies tend to pay
more.
- Thirdly, those regions which enjoy greater economic success pay higher
salaries. For example, the Office Team Workplace Survey this summer shows
that the Thames Valley region pays an average of £24,200, just behind
London at £27,300. Administrative professionals in the Home Counties,
however, get £21,200 while those on the South Coast receive an average
of £20,600. Salaries in the South East vary considerably:
| Office Manager |
£20,000 - £30,000 |
| Executive PA |
£25,000 - £30,000+ |
| PA |
£19,000 - £28,000 |
| PA/administrator |
£14,000 - £18,000 |
| Specialist PAs |
| e.g. bi-lingual |
£18,000 - £25,000 |
| Entry position |
£11,000 - £15,000 |
Salaries tend to be lower in the economically not-so-hot areas, such as coastal
regions, where the economy has not kept pace with the hot-hot-hot areas. If
you're in a lower-performing districts, the good news for you is that SEEDA
(South East of England Development Agency) and its partners are working hard
to close the gap between where you live and the hot spots. Wherever you live
in the region, if you want to work your way up the ladder, solid PA experience
is essential, so use any opportunity you have to broaden yours.
Making
the most of your annual review will help you do just that.
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