UK business administration and support – by the numbers

Pay can play a role when workers are deciding to leave or join an organisation. The Brook Street business professionals salary guide provides a snapshot of compensation levels for a variety of roles across the UK.

The bigger picture – business professionals average salaries and time-to-hire – UK-wide

The data below reveals the macro picture – a national overview revealing average salaries and job posting times based on information from twelve UK cities.

Salaries shown in this report do not reflect the uplift in NLW as of 1 April 2024.

ACROSS THE UK Adult social care salary rates and time-to-hire Full time/permanent roles – March 2024
Role	Average salary	Average days to hire
Accounts assistant	£25,293	18
Bookkeeper	£27,386	18
Sales ledger clerk	£28,099	21
Purchase ledger clerk	£25,519	19
Payroll clerk	£26,759	18
Credit controller	£26,482	19
Accounts payable/receivable	£26,304	17
Secretarial	£26,052	23
Executive assistant	£31,803	28
Personal assistant	£28,137	28
Clerical assistant	£25,417	19
Office manager	£29,211	20
HR administrator	£24,756	26
Marketing administrator	£27,472	16
	Average salary all roles: £28,166	Average time to hire all roles: 20 days

AT THE EXTREMES – Highest and lowest hourly pay rate – 35 hours week National data – March 2024
LOW	HIGH
HR Administrator - £13.32	Executive Assistant - £17.45

Drilling down – the view at city level

National statistics are one thing, but regional variances reveal a very different picture. Where their business is based can have significant impact on what salaries employers must pay.

Belfast
Role	Average salary
Accounts assistant	£25,387
Bookkeeper	£29,949
Sales ledger clerk	£26,892
Purchase ledger clerk	£23,957
Payroll clerk	£22,719
Credit controller	£25,511
Accounts payable/receivable	£27,371
Secretarial	£32,125
Executive assistant	£29,944
Personal assistant	£28,512
Clerical assistant	£23,282
Office manager	£30,718
HR administrator	£23,553
Marketing administrator	£28,550
Accounts assistant	£25,387

Birmingham
Role	Average salary
Accounts assistant	£23,349
Bookkeeper	£24,317
Sales ledger clerk	£26,892
Purchase ledger clerk	£24,404
Payroll clerk	£25,919
Credit controller	£26,419
Accounts payable/receivable	£25,999
Secretarial	£24,884
Executive assistant	£33,615
Personal assistant	£28,389
Clerical assistant	£24,960
Office manager	£29,639
HR administrator	£23,791
Marketing administrator	£26,899
Accounts assistant	£23,349

Bradford
Role	Average salary
Accounts assistant	£24,446
Bookkeeper	£26,175
Sales ledger clerk	£25,786
Purchase ledger clerk	£22,968
Payroll clerk	£26,063
Credit controller	£25,031
Accounts payable/receivable	£24,433
Secretarial	£24,392
Executive assistant	£28,930
Personal assistant	£25,647
Clerical assistant	£22,890
Office manager	£27,142
HR administrator	£23,533
Marketing administrator	£28,138
Accounts assistant	£24,446

Cardiff
Role	Average salary
Accounts assistant	£23,439
Bookkeeper	£26,595
Sales ledger clerk	£25,287
Purchase ledger clerk	£23,009
Payroll clerk	£24,180
Credit controller	£23,336
Accounts payable/receivable	£24,359
Secretarial	£23,684
Executive assistant	£28,114
Personal assistant	£22,747
Clerical assistant	£22,689
Office manager	£26,766
HR administrator	£23,798
Marketing administrator	£25,060
Accounts assistant	£23,439

Coventry
Role	Average salary
Accounts assistant	£24,349
Bookkeeper	£25,477
Sales ledger clerk	£27,071
Purchase ledger clerk	£20,718
Payroll clerk	£24,486
Credit controller	£25,829
Accounts payable/receivable	£25,713
Secretarial	£22,290
Executive assistant	£30,142
Personal assistant	£26,569
Clerical assistant	£23,802
Office manager	£28,441
HR administrator	£24,522
Marketing administrator	£27,251

London
Role	Average salary
Accounts assistant	£27,488
Bookkeeper	£28,429
Sales ledger clerk	£29,403
Purchase ledger clerk	£27,109
Payroll clerk	£28,383
Credit controller	£31,517
Accounts payable/receivable	£29,815
Secretarial	£34,300
Executive assistant	£44,148
Personal assistant	£36,584
Clerical assistant	£31,849
Office manager	£34,220
HR administrator	£27,895
Marketing administrator	£30,648

Manchester
Role	Average salary
Accounts assistant	£23,105
Bookkeeper	£26,854
Sales ledger clerk	£27,425
Purchase ledger clerk	£24,657
Payroll clerk	£25,238
Credit controller	£24,404
Accounts payable/receivable	£26,473
Secretarial	£24,524
Executive assistant	£30,596
Personal assistant	£27,349
Clerical assistant	£26,162
Office manager	£29,104
HR administrator	£23,401
Marketing administrator	£27,185

Peterborough
Role	Average salary
Accounts assistant	£24,837
Bookkeeper	£24,649
Sales ledger clerk	£30,354
Purchase ledger clerk	£25,277
Payroll clerk	£25,925
Credit controller	£26,352
Accounts payable/receivable	£24,479
Secretarial	£23,588
Executive assistant	£28,732
Personal assistant	£28,622
Clerical assistant	£25,014
Office manager	£26,632
HR administrator	£23,448
Marketing administrator	£27,964

Reading
Role	Average salary
Accounts assistant	£25,827
Bookkeeper	£30,582
Sales ledger clerk	£31,347
Purchase ledger clerk	£34,715
Payroll clerk	£33,194
Credit controller	£27,742
Accounts payable/receivable	£25,522
Secretarial	£25,203
Executive assistant	£33,404
Personal assistant	£31,549
Clerical assistant	£28,021
Office manager	£29,147
HR administrator	£25,522
Marketing administrator	£29,692

Southampton
Role	Average salary
Accounts assistant	£25,731
Bookkeeper	£27,713
Sales ledger clerk	£29,036
Purchase ledger clerk	£24,802
Payroll clerk	£26,054
Credit controller	£26,510
Accounts payable/receivable	£26,723
Secretarial	£25,203
Executive assistant	£32,393
Personal assistant	£29,652
Clerical assistant	£25,827
Office manager	£29,520
HR administrator	£24,466
Marketing administrator	£27,782

Tunbridge Wells
Role	Average salary
Accounts assistant	£25,286
Bookkeeper	£31,891
Sales ledger clerk	£27,292
Purchase ledger clerk	£24,732
Payroll clerk	£24,906
Credit controller	£24,687
Accounts payable/receivable	£29,120
Secretarial	£23,925
Executive assistant	no data
Personal assistant	£27,665
Clerical assistant	£24,609
Office manager	£31,242
HR administrator	£22,831
Marketing administrator	£26,399

Watford
Role	Average salary
Accounts assistant	£25,050
Bookkeeper	£29,949
Sales ledger clerk	£29,265
Purchase ledger clerk	£27,756
Payroll clerk	£27,756
Credit controller	£27,955
Accounts payable/receivable	£27,014
Secretarial	£33,736
Executive assistant	£29,460
Personal assistant	£26,914
Clerical assistant	£24,225
Office manager	£28,681
HR administrator	£24,219
Marketing administrator	£26,723

Glasgow
Role	Average salary
Accounts assistant	£30,611
Bookkeeper	£26,000
Sales ledger clerk	£28,035
Purchase ledger clerk	£26,083
Payroll clerk	£29,000
Credit controller	£28,000
Accounts payable/receivable	£26,000
Secretarial	£26,899
Executive assistant	£30,299
Personal assistant	£25,960
Clerical assistant	£24,960
Office manager	£30,000
HR administrator	£29,640
Marketing administrator	£25,917

AT THE EXTREMES – Highest and lowest salaries – any role – March 2024
LOW	HIGH
Purchase ledger clerk - £20,718 Coventry	Executive assistant - £44,148 London

THE SPREAD – Widest difference in salary – selected role – March 2024
LOW	HIGH
Purchase ledger clerk - £20,718 Coventry	Purchase ledger clerk - £34,715 Reading
	Difference: +£13,997 (67%)

Swings and roundabouts – year-on-year salary comparisons

The talent shortage means compensation rates for business admin and support workers continue to rise. Salaries are higher for almost every role compared to a year ago.

ACROSS THE UK Changes in compensation rates year-on-year Full time/permanent roles – March 2024
Role	YOY Change %
Accounts assistant	6.10%
Bookkeeper	2.20%
Sales ledger clerk	2.20%
Purchase ledger clerk	2.50%
Payroll clerk	-3.70%
Credit controller	6.50%
Accounts payable/receivable	0.50%
Secretarial	7.20%
Executive assistant	4.20%
Personal assistant	6.60%
Clerical assistant	-3.70%
Office manager	3.50%
HR administrator	8.90%
Marketing administrator	9.00%

AT THE EXTREMES - Largest Salary Changes - any role

March 2023 to March 2024

Largest Fall

Largest Rise

Payroll clerk and clerical assistant

Down 3.7% YOY

Marketing administrator

Up 9% YOY