NEWS
BRIEFING Keep up to date with the latest news surrounding the role of the EA
Time for a raise ? Let ’ s look at your salary in 2022
With a new year comes questions about promotions and pay rises . Many HR managers and C-suite executives will want to know what constitutes the typical executive assistant salary and , fortunately , Altitude EA – specialists in recruiting executive and personal assistants – have sourced that information for you .
Here are their up-to-the-minute EA salary expectations for 2022 …
Administration-level EAs About $ 80 – $ 100,000 per annum This would be a transactional EA , providing administrative support and clerical assistance to the senior management of a company through diary management , scheduling meetings , travel planning and office management .
Altitude EA notes that the administrative executive assistant salary is reflective of the size of the organisation . Being part of a smaller company where the EA supports owner , for example , may see you earning a little less than $ 80,000 . Similarly , if you ’ re new to the career , lack qualifications , or are in a regional area , you may be looking lower than the suggested bracket .
Business partner EAs From $ 120 – $ 150,000 per annum A higher grade of EA , providing senior strategic and top-level support to an exec , your responsibilities will range from supporting your boss in the delivery of their KPIs and supporting the broader organisation in the achievement of company goals to managing projects and making decisions that allow your exec to focus on other core priorities .
You ’ ll find this salary is reflective of the level of support you offer . Are you providing top-level strategic insight and support for executive decision making ? Do you act on behalf of your boss in meetings , staff liaison and stakeholder management ? The business partner EA tends to bring many years of experience , both as a high-level EA and within a particular industry niche – and you ’ ll be rewarded appropriately .
Chief of staff $ 180 – $ 230,000 per annum Increasingly common in the Australian corporate landscape , your salary should reflect the high level of contribution you make to your organisation . You ’ ll be a senior member of the leadership team and essentially a co-pilot to the CEO . You ’ re a close and trusted advisor , unafraid to challenge and question when necessary .
You ’ ll also act as a go-between for executives , ensuring information flows readily between the C-suite , external stakeholders and the rest of the company . Highly valued , especially in larger organisations , it ’ s not uncommon for chief of staff positions to attract a salary of around $ 200,000 in Australia .
Finally , looking at salaries on a location-basis , Altitude EA notes that assistant salaries have historically tended to be higher in Sydney . But in 2022 , EA salary expectations in Sydney and Melbourne are largely the same . S
Is CQ ® the new IQ ?
Have you heard of cultural quotient ( CQ ®, a registered trademark of the Cultural Intelligence Center ) or cultural intelligence ? Even if you haven ’ t , as a high-level EA you ’ ll most likely embody it !
CQ is said to help us understand the decisions people and organisations make , and how they are influenced by their beliefs , attitudes , and values . It assesses far beyond simple cultural sensitivity and awareness – it is a globally recognised measure of how good we are at understanding cultural differences , such as nationality , ethnicity , culture , location , gender and age .
Increasingly seen as far more valuable than IQ ( intelligence quotient ), and of equal importance in business to its counterpart emotional intelligence ( EQ ), because of its proven exponential positive impact on improved teamwork , performance , cooperation and communication , CQ could be the EA ’ s 2022 buzzword .
Thom Dennis , CEO of culture integration and change specialists , Serenity in Leadership , says : “ Culturally intelligent organisations establish better trust , tolerance and understanding , both internally and externally . They are more capable of working well across cultures and will enjoy the benefits of both better productivity , diversity , negotiation skills , recruitment and performance , as well as reduced talent loss , bias and conflict .”
You ’ ll find more information on CQ , including tips on developing your own cultural intelligence , in the professional development section of the winter 2022 issue of Executive PA magazine . S
10 Executive PA | Autumn Issue 2022