Career outlook for personal assistant
Figures and forecasts for roles at the same level, which require similar skills and qualifications.
Average UK salary
£31,720
Currently employed in Scotland
14,300
Average UK salary
£31,720
Currently employed in Scotland
14,300
"LMI for All" supplies our salary and employment status information. "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures.
Due to COVID-19 the jobs market is constantly changing. Some of the information may not reflect the current situation.
What's it like?
You would help a manager make the best use of their time by giving secretarial support and dealing with day-to-day tasks.
You would:
- Screen telephone calls and handle enquiries
- Update your manager’s diary and make appointments
- Deal with letters and emails
- Write letters and produce reports and presentations
- Arrange meetings
- Look after office systems
- Take notes at meetings
- Make travel arrangements
- Look after visitors
Many managers give their personal assistants a high level of responsibility, so in some jobs you may have to:
- Stand in for the manager in their absence
- Manage other administrative staff
- Deal with accounts and budgets
- Take on project work, such as research
You’d have to enjoy a varied day, and be good at doing several different things at once.
Working conditions
Hours
Environment
UK employment status
Full-time
57%
Part-time
39%
Self employed
4%
Create a qualification route
We’ve found some examples of the qualifications that could help you get this job.
Discover my routeTop skills
Here are some of the skills needed for this job. Sign in to see how your skills match up.
- Reliable
- Time management
- Developing a plan
- Sorting
- Attention to detail
- Verbal communication
- Written communication
- Cooperating
- Observation
Skills Explorer
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To understand more, have a look at What are my skills?
Our Skills Explorer tool will help you understand what skills you have and match them to jobs that might suit you.
Use the Skills Explorer toolGetting in
Entry requirements for courses can change. Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you’ll need.
Foundation Apprenticeships
Choosing a Foundation Apprenticeship as one of your subjects in S5 and S6 can help you get a head start with this type of job.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification (the same level as a Higher) plus valuable work placement experience and skills you can't learn in a classroom.
Interested? Find out what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
Qualifications
Qualifications at SCQF level 4-6 are usually asked for and relevant work-based experience is essential. Many applicants have a Higher National Certificate (SCQF level 7), Higher National Diploma (SCQF level 8) or a degree (SCQF level 9/10).
Entry requirements to study an administration National Certificate course or National Qualification course range from no formal qualifications up to three to four subjects at National 4/5 level.
You need one to two Highers for an Higher National Certificate or Higher National Diploma and Nationals and three to five Highers to enter a degree.
Useful subjects
- English (required by most course and employers)
- Maths
- Business
- ICT subjects
- Administrative subjects
Helpful to have
Qualifications that show your organisational, teamworking and ICT skills and any qualifications that involve work-based experience such as Skills for Work courses.
You can work your way up from an administrative job, gaining qualifications while you work such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in business and administration (SVQ level 2 /3) or a similar.
Ability in a foreign language can be useful for some roles.