We asked 396 assistants in our July 2026 Salary Survey about pay, responsibility and how the job is seen from the outside. Here is what they told us.
65% feel underpaid for the value they deliver, including 23% who feel significantly underpaid.
The scale of what they support
- 77% of assistants supporting a publicly listed employer in a business worth £1bn or more
- 80% of assistants support a family office or UHNW individual responsible for £50m or more in wealth
- 68% made a business-critical decision in the last year without explicit sign-off
Trust and credit
- 77% know more about their employer’s daily life than most people close to that employer
- 49% say a principal has taken full or partial credit for their work
- 50% say flexibility is non-negotiable
How the job is seen from outside
- 67% say the people closest to them do not fully understand the job
- 39% say it would take months, or they would never grasp the role
- 1 in 4 say friends and family think they “just organise calendars”
AI and the role
- 67% expect their role to change, at least in part
- 57% would feel relief, or a mix of relief and concern
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Source: Pally Talk Salary Survey, July 2026, 396 responses from Pally Talk members. Respondents chose to take part, so results describe this community rather than all assistants.