Personal Assistant Salary Range in 2024
Personal assistant salaries can vary from $10 per hour all the way up to $250,000 a year in the United States for a full-time position.
Because of all the factors involved in calculating pay (i.e., market/city, experience, education, and level of responsibility) the following pay scale is only a very loose guide to understanding how to compensate an assistant in 2024. Contact us for a more detailed analysis of your job description:
Because of all the factors involved in calculating pay (i.e., market/city, experience, education, and level of responsibility) the following pay scale is only a very loose guide to understanding how to compensate an assistant in 2024. Contact us for a more detailed analysis of your job description:
Average Salary for Low-range Personal Assistants
How much should an entry-level personal assistant make? This category includes hourly candidates up to $40,000 per year. These candidates are usually new to the business or may have up to two years of experience. An assistant will not likely have a college degree. Duties include basic errands, fetching dry cleaning, washing / walking pets, light meal preparation, and related jobs. Some administrative duties are also common. Performance bonuses are sometimes paid.
Average Salary for Medium-range Personal Assistants
PAs get year-end performance bonuses
In this category, personal assistants earn between $40,000 to $80,000 per year. These candidates often have PA experience anywhere from two to four years in a prior position. Employees at this level can and usually do work for celebrities, high-profile executives, and high-net-worth families.
Most of the personal assistants will have a college degree and be a career PA. The candidates at this level are adept at booking private jets and usually travel with the VIP they work for (in a shadow capacity). End-of-year bonuses, based on performance, at this level are common. It is quite easy to lose an assistant at this point if they are not treated well or given any bonuses because once they have a strong resume, they will be a flight risk to go make more money if not properly motivated to stay with a great benefits package.
Most of the personal assistants will have a college degree and be a career PA. The candidates at this level are adept at booking private jets and usually travel with the VIP they work for (in a shadow capacity). End-of-year bonuses, based on performance, at this level are common. It is quite easy to lose an assistant at this point if they are not treated well or given any bonuses because once they have a strong resume, they will be a flight risk to go make more money if not properly motivated to stay with a great benefits package.
Average Salary for High-range Personal Assistants
Elite assistants are in demand like pro athletes
PAs in this category work from $80,000 to $150,000 per year as a base. End-of-year bonuses, health insurance benefits, and 401K are usually a part of the compensation package as well. Assistants in this world will usually have five to 10 years of experience, have a college degree, and possess specific skill sets that are not easy to find.
They are usually hybrid executive assistants and are adept at working in and out of offices or in the field (on location). They have extensive experience with celebrities and high-net-worth families, so special skills include managing exotic car fleets, private jets, supervising domestic staff, and managing multiple estates worldwide. Filling these jobs is difficult for headhunters and recruiters.
They are usually hybrid executive assistants and are adept at working in and out of offices or in the field (on location). They have extensive experience with celebrities and high-net-worth families, so special skills include managing exotic car fleets, private jets, supervising domestic staff, and managing multiple estates worldwide. Filling these jobs is difficult for headhunters and recruiters.
Average Salary for Ultra-high-range Personal Assistants
Assistants for UHNWI command amazing salaries
UHR personal assistants work on a pay scale from $150,000 to $250,000+ per year. At the minimum they have a BA or BS degree, but likely will have a master’s degree in a field that is related to the employer’s vocation. These personal assistants also act as a sort of Business Manager -- or an elite Executive Assistant -- for the VIP and will have access to very large sums of cash and credit. These assistants will usually have a minimum of 10 to 15 years of experience and are stand-out candidates in their field.
These assistants are very sought-after by personal assistant headhunters and domestic employment agencies of all kinds. These candidates are very adaptable to working in corporate environments where major power-players mingle. They work in a “personal assistant” capacity in the field (on location), but also have one or more subordinate personal assistants working for them to do simpler tasks.
These Ultra-High-Range Personal Assistants often get a luxury apartment, condo, or guest house that is included as part of the compensation package and having a driver for their company car is certainly possible. These Executive Personal Assistants work for ultra-high net worth (UHNW) clients and Hollywood celebrities usually cannot afford them unless they are moguls like Steven Spielberg, or another type of legendary figure like director James Cameron.
At a minimum, a credit history audit, criminal background check, and driving record review will be required; and they also must be insured because of the vast sums of money they manage.
These assistants are very sought-after by personal assistant headhunters and domestic employment agencies of all kinds. These candidates are very adaptable to working in corporate environments where major power-players mingle. They work in a “personal assistant” capacity in the field (on location), but also have one or more subordinate personal assistants working for them to do simpler tasks.
These Ultra-High-Range Personal Assistants often get a luxury apartment, condo, or guest house that is included as part of the compensation package and having a driver for their company car is certainly possible. These Executive Personal Assistants work for ultra-high net worth (UHNW) clients and Hollywood celebrities usually cannot afford them unless they are moguls like Steven Spielberg, or another type of legendary figure like director James Cameron.
At a minimum, a credit history audit, criminal background check, and driving record review will be required; and they also must be insured because of the vast sums of money they manage.
Market Factors for Personal Assistant Salaries in 2024
Many factors are considered for pay
Naturally, major cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York, Washington DC, Chicago, and Miami are going to have a higher average base salary. Deciding on a national average for these positions is difficult at best because of all the considerations beyond just location. When calculating pay, companies need to consider how much "privacy" and "peace of mind" are worth to the principal that is hiring them.
If a company were to offer a top candidate compensation based on just the area of the job, then the time spent trying to recruit candidates will dramatically increase -- and lost time is lost money. Studies show that replacing an employee will cost as much as their annual salary, so a search for a new candidate at the top experience level would be costly.
If a company were to offer a top candidate compensation based on just the area of the job, then the time spent trying to recruit candidates will dramatically increase -- and lost time is lost money. Studies show that replacing an employee will cost as much as their annual salary, so a search for a new candidate at the top experience level would be costly.
Helpful considerations beyond "city" when deciding salary for a personal assistant
Employers should look holistically at salary packages
One consideration an employer should explore in 2023 and 2024 would be to select a candidate based on career insights and scale the compensation based on a related job of high responsibility.
Offering top-tier candidates a fancy job title like Chief of Staff will not attract the best applicants if the benefits package doesn't match the level of responsibility.
Salaries for personal assistants that work for celebrities, high-profile executives, and Fortune 500 Inc need to be ultra-competitive in order to be able to attract and retain the best candidates.
HR managers or a private employer should not look at similar pay scales that are published in popular business magazines because assistants in these categories are not comparing apples to apples.
Read more job descriptions and salary ranges.
Offering top-tier candidates a fancy job title like Chief of Staff will not attract the best applicants if the benefits package doesn't match the level of responsibility.
Salaries for personal assistants that work for celebrities, high-profile executives, and Fortune 500 Inc need to be ultra-competitive in order to be able to attract and retain the best candidates.
HR managers or a private employer should not look at similar pay scales that are published in popular business magazines because assistants in these categories are not comparing apples to apples.
Read more job descriptions and salary ranges.
