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Average Administrative Support Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An administrative support in United Kingdom earns about 34,000 GBP a year. That's 51% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 14,200 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 52,800 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does an administrative support make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
34,000 GBP
2,833 GBP per month
Lowest reported
14,200 GBP
1,183 GBP per month
Highest reported
52,800 GBP
4,400 GBP per month

A typical administrative support working in United Kingdom brings home around 2,833 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 14,200 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 52,800 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior administrative support working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the administrative support salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How administrative support pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all administrative supports in United Kingdom earn less than 35,000 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 23,500 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 46,900 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of administrative supports sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 14,200 GBP. The highest stretch to 52,800 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

14,200
Low
35,000
Median
52,800
High
23,500
25th
46,900
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Administrative support pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an administrative support in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical administrative support salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    18,600 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +26% from previous
    23,400 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +51% from previous
    35,300 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +23% from previous
    43,500 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +3% from previous
    45,000 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +11% from previous
    49,800 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 51%. That is the point at which a administrative support typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Administrative support pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving administrative support pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average administrative support salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    20,000 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +59% from previous
    31,800 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +61% from previous
    51,100 GBP

Administrative support gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male administrative supports in United Kingdom earn an average of 33,600 GBP a year, while female administrative supports earn around 32,900 GBP. That works out to a 2% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Administrative Support gender pay gap

2%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 33,600 GBP
Women 32,900 GBP

Pay raises for an administrative support in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 9% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 6% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Administrative support bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

35%

35% of administrative supports in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an administrative support a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 65% of administrative supports reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Administrative support: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Administrative support salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Administrative support pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Leicester
  • Sheffield
  • Somerset
  • Edinburgh
  • Bradford
  • Cardiff
  • Coventry
  • Glasgow
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion60,100 GBP67,000 GBP26,500-96,600 GBP
ScotlandRegion46,100 GBP45,300 GBP23,700-71,400 GBP
LeicesterCity38,700 GBP39,000 GBP18,800-58,000 GBP
SheffieldCity38,100 GBP39,500 GBP18,800-58,800 GBP
SomersetCity37,300 GBP37,200 GBP18,900-57,800 GBP
EdinburghCity37,300 GBP38,100 GBP19,200-56,400 GBP
BradfordCity37,200 GBP34,900 GBP16,000-56,100 GBP
CardiffCity37,100 GBP33,300 GBP20,900-57,000 GBP
CoventryCity36,800 GBP35,600 GBP18,000-57,200 GBP
GlasgowCity36,600 GBP35,300 GBP17,900-53,800 GBP
BrightonCity36,500 GBP34,000 GBP20,300-55,100 GBP
LiverpoolCity36,400 GBP34,900 GBP19,400-58,600 GBP
NottinghamCity36,000 GBP34,800 GBP19,100-54,600 GBP
LeedsCity35,600 GBP36,500 GBP17,800-57,900 GBP
NewcastleCity35,600 GBP33,000 GBP20,300-54,700 GBP
BristolCity35,300 GBP39,100 GBP16,100-57,900 GBP
BelfastCity35,300 GBP39,100 GBP16,100-57,200 GBP
BirminghamCity35,300 GBP39,100 GBP16,100-57,200 GBP
YorkCity35,100 GBP33,000 GBP16,800-51,300 GBP
LondonCity35,000 GBP39,100 GBP16,100-55,300 GBP
ManchesterCity34,800 GBP36,700 GBP18,000-58,100 GBP
PlymouthCity34,300 GBP35,000 GBP16,000-54,200 GBP
SwanseaCity34,300 GBP33,000 GBP19,000-52,300 GBP
AberdeenCity33,800 GBP31,700 GBP16,300-51,900 GBP
SouthamptonCity33,600 GBP34,000 GBP16,800-49,300 GBP
CambridgeCity33,200 GBP32,300 GBP17,000-51,500 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity33,000 GBP33,600 GBP15,700-54,300 GBP
PortsmouthCity33,000 GBP36,800 GBP17,100-55,200 GBP
PeterboroughCity32,900 GBP36,000 GBP17,100-53,300 GBP
ArmaghCity32,900 GBP30,200 GBP18,400-49,700 GBP
WolverhamptonCity32,200 GBP36,600 GBP14,500-51,500 GBP
NewportCity32,200 GBP33,000 GBP14,200-49,700 GBP
OxfordCity32,200 GBP28,900 GBP16,800-48,600 GBP
WalesRegion31,700 GBP30,000 GBP18,300-47,400 GBP
DerbyCity31,700 GBP31,700 GBP15,700-49,700 GBP
DundeeCity31,400 GBP33,000 GBP14,300-52,300 GBP
DurhamCity31,400 GBP32,900 GBP15,800-49,700 GBP
WinchesterCity31,400 GBP30,800 GBP16,300-46,200 GBP
SalisburyCity31,300 GBP27,200 GBP13,500-46,300 GBP
NewryCity31,300 GBP33,200 GBP13,900-47,600 GBP
ExeterCity30,800 GBP30,300 GBP12,900-45,300 GBP
DerryCity30,800 GBP30,300 GBP12,900-45,800 GBP
HartlepoolCity30,200 GBP34,000 GBP14,000-51,600 GBP
LincolnCity30,200 GBP32,600 GBP14,200-50,500 GBP
PooleCity30,200 GBP29,100 GBP16,800-47,100 GBP
LisburnCity30,100 GBP30,100 GBP16,300-48,600 GBP
BangorCity29,900 GBP27,300 GBP14,500-44,500 GBP
NorwichCity29,600 GBP33,500 GBP15,200-49,200 GBP
ChesterCity29,600 GBP33,600 GBP14,500-49,400 GBP
GloucesterCity29,600 GBP30,800 GBP16,400-46,700 GBP
InvernessCity29,300 GBP31,400 GBP13,900-46,200 GBP
TruroCity29,300 GBP26,900 GBP15,400-46,200 GBP
StromnessCity29,300 GBP29,400 GBP13,900-43,800 GBP
AbingdonCity29,300 GBP30,100 GBP15,800-44,700 GBP
KirkwallCity29,200 GBP28,900 GBP15,500-46,100 GBP
StirlingCity29,100 GBP27,700 GBP17,000-46,700 GBP
WakefieldCity27,700 GBP29,600 GBP13,500-44,500 GBP
St DavidsCity27,200 GBP27,400 GBP12,400-42,700 GBP
StrontianCity27,000 GBP26,200 GBP13,600-40,300 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion26,900 GBP26,900 GBP14,300-45,100 GBP
CanterburyCity26,400 GBP26,900 GBP14,300-44,800 GBP
WellsCity26,400 GBP28,900 GBP12,000-45,300 GBP
RiponCity25,800 GBP29,000 GBP15,100-43,400 GBP

Administrative Support in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an administrative support make per month in United Kingdom?

    An administrative support in United Kingdom earns about 2,833 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 34,000 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an administrative support in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level administrative supports in United Kingdom start near 14,200 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 52,800 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 23,500 and 46,900 GBP.

  • Is the median administrative support salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 35,000 GBP, higher than the average of 34,000 GBP. Half of administrative supports in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for administrative supports in United Kingdom?

    Men working as an administrative support in United Kingdom earn around 2% more than women on average (33,600 vs 32,900 GBP a year).

  • Do administrative supports in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 35% of administrative supports in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do administrative supports earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays an administrative support about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do administrative supports in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    An administrative support in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 9% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 6% a year.