With a new year comes questions about promotions and pay rises. Many HR managers and C-suite executives will want to know what constitutes the typical executive assistant salary and, fortunately, Altitude EA – specialists in recruiting executive and personal assistants – have sourced that information for you.
Here are their up-to-the-minute EA salary expectations for 2022…
Administration-level EAs
About $80 – $100,000 per annum
This would be a transactional EA, providing administrative support and clerical assistance to the senior management of a company through diary management, scheduling meetings, travel planning and office management.
Altitude EA notes that the administrative executive assistant salary is reflective of the size of the organisation. Being part of a smaller company where the EA supports owner, for example, may see you earning a little less than $80,000. Similarly, if you’re new to the career, lack qualifications, or are in a regional area, you may be looking lower than the suggested bracket.
Business partner EAs
From $120 – $150,000 per annum
A higher grade of EA, providing senior strategic and top-level support to an exec, your responsibilities will range from supporting your boss in the delivery of their KPIs and supporting the broader organisation in the achievement of company goals to managing projects and making decisions that allow your exec to focus on other core priorities.
You’ll find this salary is reflective of the level of support you offer. Are you providing top-level strategic insight and support for executive decision making? Do you act on behalf of your boss in meetings, staff liaison and stakeholder management?
The business partner EA tends to bring many years of experience, both as a high-level EA and within a particular industry niche – and you’ll be rewarded appropriately.
Chief of staff
$180 – $230,000 per annum
Increasingly common in the Australian corporate landscape, your salary should reflect the high level of contribution you make to your organisation. You’ll be a senior member of the leadership team and essentially a co-pilot to the CEO. You’re a close and trusted advisor, unafraid to challenge and question when necessary. You’ll also act as a go-between for executives, ensuring information flows readily between the C-suite, external stakeholders and the rest of the company. Highly valued, especially in larger organisations, it’s not uncommon for chief of staff positions to attract a salary of around $200,000 in Australia.
Finally, looking at salaries on a location-basis, Altitude EA notes that assistant salaries have historically tended to be higher in Sydney. But in 2022, EA salary expectations in Sydney and Melbourne are largely the same.
