Personal Assistant: Job Description, Salary, Duties & More (2024)

When you work as a personal assistant, you’ll typically work one-on-one with top managers or directors to provide administrative support.

To help a manager be more productive, you’ll take care of secretarial and administrative duties.

PAs need a deep understanding of the organization in which they work.

You’ll need to be aware of the organization’s aims and goals, as well as important personnel, both outside and internally.

Managers have a lot of faith in their PA and believe that the job will get done even if they are not present.

As a result, good PAs must have a high level of discretion.

Personal Assistant Information Table

Official Job Title	Personal Assistant
Average Salary	$40,026
Stress Level	Low
Work/Life	High
Job Satisfaction	Average
Career Advancement	Average

Personal Assistant Job Description

What is a Personal Assistant?

A personal assistant is an employee who helps another professional or organization with administrative chores.

Personal assistants may be in charge of individual tasks, business responsibilities, and other duties that directly benefit anyone.

Daily, what does a personal assistant do?

You will be in the heart of a company or organization as a Personal Assistant.

Working with your manager, you will assist them with administrative and secretarial activities to assist them with the company’s day-to-day operations.

Responsibilities, Duties & Roles Of A Personal Assistant

Maintaining office processes: data management and filing, arranging travel, visas, lodging, and occasionally accompanying the manager to meetings to take notes or dictation or give general support during presentations.
Meeting and greeting visitors at all levels of seniority, organizing and maintaining diaries, and making appointments.
Dealing with incoming emails, faxes, and posts, often corresponding on behalf of the manager.
Conducting background research and presenting findings producing documents, briefing papers, reports, and presentations.

Personal Assistant Salary

Average Salary

On average, personal assistants can expect to make $40,026 a year.

Payment will vary based on where you work, your experience level, and your skills.

Starting Salary

Personal assistants in entry-level roles can expect to make $33,150 a year.

Payment depends on factors like where you work, your degree of experience, and your abilities.

Senior Salary

Senior personal assistants working for top-level executives can expect to make, on average, $70,260 a year.

How to Become a Personal Assistant

The Entry Level: Certification, Training & Degree

To work as a personal assistant, you typically need a high school diploma or equivalent.

Some businesses can prefer applicants with college-level experience.

Prospective employees may benefit from teaching business administration and computer use at technical colleges and vocational institutes.

It may be advantageous for job searchers with past clerical, secretarial, or accounting experience to apply.

Assistants in the medical, legal, or executive business fields may need a certificate or an associate’s degree in legal studies, business, or healthcare administration.

Depending on the sector, these programs may include lessons in accounting, marketing, or the law.

On-the-job training is the most common way for personal assistants to learn corporate policies, processes, and systems.

Personal assistants are promoted to executive assistants or assigned to help a higher-level employee develop office experience and knowledge of the company’s operations.

Preparing reports and other documents for executives, scheduling business travel, taking notes at meetings, and screening calls and visitors are all responsibilities of these professions.

Executive assistants also assist in the training of other administrative staff employees.

Voluntary certification from several professional administrative organizations might aid a person’s job search.

For accreditation by the IAAP, those without a college degree must have four years of experience in the field.

An associate’s degree takes three years less time to get for professionals.

The final stage in becoming a certified assistant is to test to see how well you know the material.

Those working as personal assistants in the medical profession may desire to get credentialed in their area of expertise.

Other Skill Sets, Requirements & Qualifications

GED or high school diploma
Certification in secretarial work, office administration, or a similar field is preferred.
Experience of 1-2 years as a personal assistant.
Proven ability to prepare documents and spreadsheets using Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Typing, note-taking, record-keeping, and organizing abilities are all advanced.
You should be knowledgeable about printers, scanners, copiers, and fax machines.
Appointment scheduling software, such as MS Outlook, and call forwarding skills are required.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
Interpersonal skills.

How long does it take to become a Personal Assistant?

Strong candidates with good soft skills and a high school diploma or GED may be able to immediately get hired as personal assistants.

In other words, the barrier to entry is very low due to the low requirements.

However, candidates must seek out the right opportunities in order to land a job.

Is it Hard To Become A Personal Assistant?

Personal assistants must have a certain set of soft skills regardless of where they work.

Even so, some technical skills may be necessary depending on where you work as a personal assistant.

Soft skills include things like communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution.

Personal Assistant Career Paths

The Personal Assistant Roadmap

#1 Determine Your Priorities

As a personal assistant, you’ll be responsible for helping someone stay organized and on schedule.

Eventually, with practice and experience, you’ll be able to take on higher-level responsibilities.

So, manage your workload by creating checklists and checking them off as you finish them.

Knowing what needs to be done, when, and for how long will make setting priorities much easier.

#2 Manage Time Effectively

Personal assistants may sometimes get overwhelmed by their workloads, especially as they take on more duties for their managers.

When it comes to meeting your deadlines, being on time is essential, and time sensitivity will help you progress in the field.

#3 Keep Management Informed

You can’t assume your supervisor is aware of what you’re doing, the progress you’ve made, or the challenges you’ve conquered unless you tell them.

Create a system where you can summarize all the tasks and projects you are currently working on.

To keep the list up to date, go through your email every day, use color codes to prioritize chores, and establish separate tabs for larger projects.

Seek feedback and present your accomplishments when you ask for greater responsibilities or raises.

#4 Stay Current On Your Workload

Ascertain that you’re up-to-date on all project-related concerns.

Try to plan ahead of time for all meetings and keep in mind what your employer could need for their next meeting.

To effectively assist your boss, you must understand what their job entails and how it contributes to the organization’s needs.

Projections for Growth in Personal Assistant jobs

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a projected decline of 8% in this field through 2031.

This decline means that close to 300,000 personal assistant (or related) jobs will disappear by 2031.

Is Personal Assistant A Good Career?

A career as a personal assistant can be incredibly beneficial in a variety of fields.

Working Conditions

Can A Personal Assistant Work Remotely From Home?

You can work from home as a remote personal assistant to give online administrative and clerical help to business owners, executives, freelancers, or other clients.

You typically take calls, respond to emails, book appointments, and plan trips.

What is the number of hours a personal assistant works?

Personal Assistants work 41 hours per week (compared to an average of 44 hours).

Can A Personal Assistant Work Part-Time?

Part-time personal assistants typically work in person.

However, remote versions of this employment are available, particularly at organizations whose employees already work throughout the county or around the world.

You may be required to answer emails and phone calls, enter data, conduct errands, deliver documents, and perform other activities as needed.

Hours for this position can vary, although they often encompass several hours each day rather than a few long shifts per week.

What Are The Average Vacation Days Of A Personal Assistant?

Vacations for Personal Assistants are usually 11 days long during the busiest seasons of the year.

Alternative Careers & Similar Jobs to a Personal Assistant

Personal Assistant Resume Tips

Personalize each CV you send to meet the job’s needs.
At the top of the CV, include a personal assistant objective or summary.
Don’t just describe your responsibilities in your work experience section—showcase your accomplishments!
It would help if you relied on verifiable evidence to substantiate your talents.
Add a section to your resume for certificates, awards, supplementary training, or blogging.

Personal Assistant Interview Questions

Can you explain how you generally handle incoming calls from outside sources?

Why it works: Assesses professionalism and communication skills

In a meeting, a caller insists on speaking with management. What is your reaction?

Why it works: The candidate’s interpersonal and problem-solving abilities are assessed

You must arrange a business trip. Which data do you require?

Why it works: Demonstrates the candidate’s knowledge, expertise, and organizational abilities

Could you describe the measures you take to schedule management meetings?

Why it works: This section emphasizes the candidate’s experience executing routine PA duties and whether or not they follow proper procedures.

Could you share a few methods you regularly employ to ensure error-free typing?

Why it works: This section reveals the candidate’s proofreading experience and displays whether they pay attention to detail.

Tips for Hiring a Personal Assistant

Key Characteristics to Look for in A Personal Assistant

Being organized is the most critical skill you’ll need as an executive secretary or personal assistant.

You’ll not only need to fulfill your responsibilities, but you’ll also need to organize those of your manager:

Communication skills:
- You will interact with various people and personalities as a personal assistant.
- Therefore, you must be able to handle them professionally.
Time management:
- As an executive secretary, you will be in charge of your calendar and that of your employer.
- And you’ll be asked to move from one activity to the next while balancing a high workload, which will necessitate excellent time management abilities.
Trustworthiness:
- As a personal assistant, you must maintain tight secrecy.
- You will be provided with sensitive information and expected to maintain confidentiality in the workplace.
Calm demeanor:
- You’ll need a lot of patience, especially if you’re dealing with a hot personality or a demanding celebrity.
- You must also be able to defuse problems and calm your boss when they are panicked.
Adaptability and flexibility:
- Although you may have your method of doing tasks, it is advantageous to adapt to your boss’s working style in this area of work.

Minimum Level Of Education and Experience

The minimal education required for Personal Assistants is a high school diploma or GED.

Personal Assistants assisting a high-level executive or CEO may require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business administration or business management.

A degree linked to the sector might also be beneficial.