The role of the Executive Assistant (EA) and Personal Assistant (PA) in London has undergone a profound transformation, solidifying its position as a critical business-support function rather than a simple administrative one. As we analyze the 2025 compensation landscape, it is clear that London’s market is not monolithic. Salaries are increasingly stratified, dictated not only by experience but by the specific industry, the complexity of the executive’s demands, and a new suite of strategic and technological skills. This benchmark analysis digs deep into the compensation data, recruitment trends, and evolving job descriptions that define the executive support market, with a specific focus on the high-stakes, high-reward sectors of Finance, Tech, and Media.

Understanding this landscape is essential for both employers seeking to attract premier talent and for EAs and PAs navigating their career progression. The 2025 market is characterized by a continued skills shortage for top-tier professionals, a trend confirmed by leading recruitment agencies like Bain and Gray. This “flight to quality” means that exceptional EAs and PAs are in a powerful negotiating position, and employers are increasingly reliant on specialist EA recruitment services to find and secure them. This report breaks down the key salary differentials and explores the rise of hybrid “personal EA services” that are blurring the lines between professional and private support, creating new tiers of compensation.

Before dissecting industry specifics, it is crucial to establish the general salary baseline for 2025. The executive support profession in London has seen salaries stabilize at a new, higher post-pandemic plateau, driven by inflation and a persistent demand for high-calibre candidates. Specialist recruitment firms provide the most accurate picture of the current market, moving beyond broad generalizations to offer data-driven insights.

According to 2025 salary guide data from recruitment specialists like Morgan McKinley, the compensation landscape is clearly tiered by experience. For a Personal Assistant in London, an average salary band sits between £45,000 and £55,000. This is typically segmented by experience, with entry-level (0-3 years) PAs starting in the £35,000 to £45,000 range, while those with over five years of experience can command £55,000 to £65,000.

The benchmark for Executive Assistants is demonstrably higher, reflecting the role’s greater strategic responsibilities. The 2025 London average for an EA ranges from £50,000 to £60,000. More granular data shows EAs with 3-5 years of experience typically earning within that band, while senior EAs with over five years of experience, particularly those supporting C-suite executives, are achieving salaries between £60,000 and £80,000. As leading recruiters Robert Walters note, these figures are often supplemented by comprehensive benefits packages, including private health, pension contributions, and performance-based bonuses, which are now standard expectations.

The 2025 hiring market is defined by a “selective” approach, as noted by reports from Bain and Gray. Companies are not hiring en masse; they are hiring with precision for specific, high-impact roles. This selectivity is coupled with a persistent skill shortage, meaning the best candidates are often in multiple interview processes simultaneously. This dynamic places significant pressure on employers to act decisively and present competitive offers.

Furthermore, recruitment trends highlighted by C&C Search indicate that hybrid work is no longer a perk but a permanent fixture. A non-negotiable for many top EAs and PAs, the expectation of a hybrid model (typically 3 days in-office, 2 remote) is fundamentally shaping job offers. Recruiters report that roles demanding a 5-day office presence receive significantly fewer applications and must often over-compensate on salary to attract talent, making them less competitive.

The financial services industry, encompassing investment banking, private equity, and asset management, remains the pinnacle of EA and PA compensation in London. The demands are intense, the hours are long, and the required level of discretion is absolute, with salaries directly reflecting this high-pressure environment.

In Finance, the general salary benchmarks are consistently exceeded. Specialist guides from firms like EA Search, which segment data by industry, confirm that “Investment & Asset Management” and “Financial Services” are a distinct upper tier. An experienced EA supporting a C-suite executive or a team of Managing Directors in a top-tier investment bank or private equity firm can expect a base salary well in excess of £80,000, with many C-suite roles pushing past £100,000.

These base salaries are almost always augmented by a significant discretionary bonus, which is tied to both individual and firm performance. This “total compensation” model is what truly separates Finance from other sectors. The recruitment for these roles is almost exclusively handled by specialist firms who have deep relationships within the industry and can identify candidates with the specific, nuanced experience required.

To command these top-tier salaries, a Finance EA must be more than an organizer. They are expected to function as a business-savvy gatekeeper. Key skills include the ability to liaise at the board level, understand the cadence of financial reporting and market-sensitive announcements, and manage complex, multi-time-zone global roadshows with flawless execution. As the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) notes, senior EAs in this space often have a strategic impact, preparing financial documents and handling communications with shareholders, requiring a deep understanding of the business itself.

London’s burgeoning tech sector, from high-growth startups to established FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) outposts, has become a primary competitor for top EA talent. While traditionally seen as culturally different, tech compensation now rivals Finance, though it is often structured differently.

The skills required for a top Tech EA in 2025 are heavily focused on future-facing competencies. Industry trend reports from Lewis College emphasize “advanced technology mastery” and “AI and automation” as key skills. A Tech EA is expected to be fluent in data, capable of “data-driven decision support,” and able to use tools like Power BI or Tableau to prepare insights and track KPIs for their executive. They must be adaptable, proactive, and comfortable managing projects and communications within a fast-moving, often ambiguous, scale-up environment.

The Media sector, including PR, advertising, broadcast, and creative agencies, presents a different value proposition. While it rarely competes with the raw compensation of Finance or Tech, it attracts talent seeking a dynamic, fast-paced, and socially-driven environment.

Salaries within the Media and Creative sector, as identified by EA Search, generally align with the standard London benchmarks. An experienced EA can expect to earn in the £50,000 to £60,000 range, with PA roles sitting in the £45,000 to £55,000 bracket. Compensation is typically flatter, with less variance between mid-level and senior-level roles compared to the sharp increases seen in Finance.

What this sector may lack in high-end salary potential, it often compensates for in non-monetary benefits. These include a more relaxed and creative corporate culture, high-profile networking opportunities, access to exclusive events, and often a greater emphasis on work-life balance and creative expression.

The skills of a Media EA are highly specialized around communication and relationships. The role often involves extensive event planning, managing the demanding schedules of high-profile public-facing personalities, and acting as a primary point of contact for journalists and clients. Success is less about financial acumen and more about emotional intelligence, resourcefulness, and the ability to build and maintain a strong professional network. Adaptability is paramount, as the industry is known for last-minute changes and a constant need to “make things happen.”

A significant trend shaping top-tier compensation across all sectors is the formalization of “personal EA services.” This represents an evolution of the traditional PA role into a comprehensive lifestyle management position, often hybridizing with the business functions of an EA.

Leading recruitment firm Tiger Recruitment has explicitly detailed this emerging role. A modern Personal EA’s duties go far “beyond traditional office duties to also include personal support.” This is a 360-degree support function that encompasses both the executive’s professional and personal lives. Responsibilities regularly include “household management,” such as liaising with staff and contractors, “planning family events and holidays,” managing personal finances and bill payments, and “running personal errands.”

This hybrid role is particularly prevalent in private equity and within family offices, where the line between the executive’s business and private life is inherently blurred. The role requires an extraordinary level of trust, discretion, and, often, 24/7 availability.

When a role formally includes this level of personal support, compensation moves into a distinct, premium category. These roles are among the most highly compensated in the market, often exceeding £85,000 and reaching well into six figures, as they are effectively two jobs in one. The demands are exceptional, but for EAs and PAs who possess the specific skill set of “anticipatory thinking” and flawless, discreet execution, it presents a clear path to the top of the profession. Specialist EA recruitment services are critical in this niche, as they match UHNW individuals and family offices with candidates who have a proven track record in this demanding environment.

Specialist EA and PA recruitment agencies are on the front lines of the 2025 hiring market. Their insights provide the clearest picture of what companies must do to secure top talent and what candidates are demanding in return.

The consensus from recruiters is clear: for the top 10% of executive support professionals, it remains a candidate-driven market. As Bain and Gray’s market updates confirm, “top-tier PAs and EAs… are in multiple processes at once.” This means that employers who have slow, multi-stage interview processes or who make low-ball offers are consistently losing out.

To be competitive, a company’s recruitment process must be streamlined, decisive, and respectful of the candidate’s time. Employers who can provide clear feedback and move to an offer within days are at a distinct advantage. This speed is often facilitated by using a specialist EA recruitment service that can properly vet candidates and manage expectations on both sides.

While compensation is the headline, recruiters at firms like C&C Search report that candidates are making decisions based on the entire “Employee Value Proposition” (EVP). Top EAs are interviewing companies as much as they are being interviewed. They demand to know about the company culture, the executive’s leadership style, and, crucially, the opportunities for career progression.

Candidates are actively seeking roles where they will be treated as a strategic partner, not an administrator. They are asking for budgets for professional development, clear paths to a “Chief of Staff” or “Business Manager” role, and a supportive, flexible environment. As Robert Walters’ insights show, wellbeing allowances and a strong, positive culture are no longer ‘nice to have’—they are essential components of a winning offer.

Across Finance, Tech, and Media, a new set of core competencies has emerged. EAs and PAs who can demonstrate these skills are the ones commanding the premium 2025 salaries. The role has irrevocably shifted from reactive support to proactive partnership.

The expectation of technological skill has moved far beyond Microsoft Office. As 2025 EA trend reports from Lewis College point out, “AI mastery” is becoming a key differentiator. EAs are increasingly expected to leverage AI tools to automate scheduling, manage email, and even draft communications. In Tech and Finance, this extends to data fluency, with EAs being asked to “prepare insights” and “track KPIs” for their executives, turning administrative data into actionable business intelligence.

As technology automates routine tasks, the “human” skills have become more valuable than ever. Advanced “Emotional Intelligence (EQ)” is perhaps the most critical skill for a top-tier EA, as noted by industry resource Teal. This includes the “composure” to handle high-pressure situations, the “anticipatory thinking” to solve problems before they arise, and the “discretion” to be an absolute vault of confidential information. This combination of high-tech and high-touch skills is what defines the £80k+ Executive Assistant in the 2025 London market.

The 2025 London salary benchmark for Executive and Personal Assistants reveals a market of clear and distinct tiers. The industry sector is the primary driver of compensation potential, with Finance leading in pure earning power, closely followed by Tech, which competes with a compelling package of equity and strategic responsibility. The Media sector, while offering lower base salaries, provides a unique cultural and networking-driven career path.

For employers, the landscape is competitive. Attracting the best talent is no longer just about salary; it requires a strong EVP, a commitment to hybrid work, and a decisive recruitment process. For EAs and PAs, career progression and access to top-tier salaries depend on a new set of skills: technological fluency, data literacy, and advanced emotional intelligence. As the role continues to evolve into a strategic partnership, and the demand for hybrid “personal EA services” grows, engaging with specialist EA recruitment services has become an essential strategy for both companies and candidates to successfully navigate this dynamic and high-stakes market.