An administrative assistant performs an important function in any office. Whether they are managing the calendar of management, helping to ensure that important documents are properly filed, or simply greeting and re-directing visitors, most employers will tell you their administrative assistant is the backbone of their office. An administrative assistant is a great career path as every business and industry employs administrative assistants, and once you have experience in the role the sky’s the limit in terms of different places to work.
Administrative assistants tend to spend most of their days working on a computer. A lot of their time is also spent communicating with people, which may be over the phone or in person. For many administrative assistants, no two days are the same, as your daily work is often dictated by what else is happening in the business. You can expect to work the hours of your office, which typically means Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. There are increasing opportunities for administrative assistants to work remotely.
As previously mentioned, many of the skills of an administrative assistant are universal. This means that a skilled administrative assistant can have their pick of what industry they’d like to work in. And there is no need to stick with one industry for your whole career if you don’t want to. Many administrative assistants advance into roles such as office manager or executive assistant.
Administrative assistants in London can expect to earn anywhere from $39,500 for junior employees to as much as $54,200 per year for more senior staff. Here is a more detailed salary breakdown:
annual: $46,700
monthly: $3,892
weekly: $973
hourly: $24.32
lowest salary: $39,500 per year
average salary: $46,700 per year
highest salary: $54,200 per year
junior salary: $39,500-$46,700 per year
intermediate salary: $42,600-$50,700 per year
senior salary: $45,900-$54,200 per year
While you have the opportunity to work in a variety of industries as an administrative assistant, many of the tasks you will perform are likely to be similar. Some of those include:
Administrative assistants can be found in most industries. Some common ones include education and government organizations, as well as not-for-profit organizations. Most large and small businesses also need the skills administrative assistants bring to the table.
Because the role of an administrative assistant is so pivotal in most organizations, employers are looking for individuals who have a variety of soft skills needed to perform the role at a high level, including:
Most employers are looking for administrative assistants with previous experience and a degree in a relevant field, such as office administration. If you have additional relevant education (such as filing or clerical, or additional training on relevant computer programs) that would be considered an asset.