London PAs earn £10K more than PAs in Edinburgh
PAs working in London are the highest earners within their profession across the UK, according to research released today by OfficeTeam, a leading provider of specialised administrative personnel. There are clear salary differences amongst PAs working across the UK with those in London who have over five years experience earning on average £10,000 more than their counterparts in Edinburgh who earn on average £22,000.
The OfficeTeam Salary Guide 2009 provides a forecast of annual salaries for administrative personnel across the UK for the coming year. The much talked about North/South divide remains evident amongst the administrative profession with PAs in the South typically earning higher annual salaries than those based in the North. Four out of five of the top salaries are earned by PAs working in the South, with Leeds as the only city representing the North in fifth place.
Regional Ranking: Average Annual Salary (5+ years experience)
Top Five Salaries by Location- Central London - £32,000
- Hammersmith and West London - £32,000
- Milton Keynes - £30,000
- Portsmouth - £27,000
- Leeds - £26,000
Lowest Five Salaries by Location
- Edinburgh - £22,000
- Liverpool – £22,000
- Leicester - £22,000
- Nottingham - £23,000
- Birmingham - £23,000
Yet even within just the Southern regions, the differences in salary levels of PAs across the region are more prevalent than those in the North. There is a £2,000 difference between PAs working in London and those in Milton Keynes who are next on the top earners’ list. In the North, the salary level of a PA remains fairly consistent with little difference across the various cities.
Rebecca Parnell, Regional Manager, OfficeTeam commented:
“The role of the PA has seen significant changes over the past few years with bosses becoming more reliant on their keen organisation skills and ability to handle multiple priorities, more so than ever in today’s current economic climate. The strong demand for skilled PAs means employers are offering competitive salaries to attract talented workers.”
According to our research, ‘softer’ work-life benefits such as flexible working hours are becoming the more preferred type of benefits that are offered to PAs across all regions yet appear to be particularly popular with employers based in Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow and Swindon. Employers in Birmingham prefer to offer training and career progression opportunities to PAs whereas traditional monetary benefits such as healthcare, pensions and bonus schemes are more common amongst employers in London, Leicester, Portsmouth and Southampton.
Rebecca Parnell added:
“With the increased competition for talented PAs, employers need to take a closer look at the entire remuneration package offered in order to retain their staff. Benefits such as flexible working hours and extra holidays for example are key to maintaining an improved work/life balance and engendering loyalty to the company.”
To view the OfficeTeam salary survey Click Here
