How much does an executive assistant cost in the UK?
By The Min · · 6 min read
It's the first question almost every founder asks, and the honest answer is "it depends on how you hire." The same support can cost £400 a month or £80,000 a year depending on the route you take. This guide breaks down what an executive assistant actually costs in the UK in 2026, the on-costs most people forget, and how to work out whether it pays for itself.
The three ways to hire, and what each costs
There are really only three routes, and the price gap between them is large.
| Route | Typical UK cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance / fractional EA | £35–£75/hr, or retainers from a few hundred £/month | Founders who want senior support without the overhead, scaling hours up or down |
| VA or EA agency | £25–£50/hr, often with minimum packages | Lighter, more transactional admin where continuity matters less |
| In-house, full-time EA | £35,000–£70,000+ salary, plus on-costs | Large, predictable workloads that genuinely need 40 hours a week |
Figures are indicative ranges for 2026 and vary with seniority, sector and especially London versus the rest of the UK.
What an in-house EA really costs
The salary is only the visible part. When you employ someone full-time, the true cost is meaningfully higher once you add:
- Employer National Insurance and pension contributions
- Holiday, sick pay and cover when they're away
- Equipment, software and a desk (or a share of the office)
- Recruitment fees, often 15–25% of salary as a one-off
- Your own management time: onboarding, reviews, direction
As a rule of thumb, the real annual cost of an in-house hire lands around 1.25 to 1.3 times the salary. A £50,000 EA is closer to £60,000–£65,000 all-in, and that assumes you can keep them busy for a full 40-hour week.
What drives the price
Whichever route you choose, four things move the number:
- Seniority. A true executive assistant who can own complex diaries, travel and stakeholder work costs more than general admin support, and saves you more.
- Hours. The single biggest lever. Most founders don't need 40 hours a week; they need the right 8 to 30 hours a month.
- Location. London commands a premium. Remote support lets you access senior people without paying for a postcode.
- Scope. Inbox-only is cheaper than full operational ownership, but full ownership is where the real time comes back.
The number that actually matters: the return
Cost is only half the equation. The better question is what the time is worth. If support frees up even a few hours of your week, and your time is worth £150 an hour, the maths moves quickly. A founder reclaiming 5 hours a week is recovering more than £1,000 of their own time, every week.
If you want to see your own number, our Executive Noise Index estimates how many hours you could reclaim in 90 seconds, and the Founder Time Calculator turns that into an annual value.
How The Min prices it
We keep it simple: a single monthly retainer that covers every type of executive support, with no per-task add-ons and unused hours that roll over. Plans start at £360/month for 8 hours and scale to 30 hours for founders who want a true right hand, roughly £40–£45 an hour for senior, UK-based support with none of the on-costs of hiring. You can see the full breakdown on the pricing page, or build your own plan there.
So, which should you choose?
If you genuinely have 40 hours a week of work and want someone in the building, hire in-house. For almost everyone else, founders who have outgrown doing everything themselves but don't need a full-time salary on the books, a freelance, fractional EA gives you senior support, flexible hours and a single predictable cost. Not sure what to offload first? Start with what to hand over first.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a freelance executive assistant cost in the UK?
Most freelance and fractional executive assistants in the UK charge between £35 and £75 per hour depending on seniority, or work on a monthly retainer. Retainers typically start from a few hundred pounds a month for a handful of hours and scale with the hours you reserve.
Is a freelance executive assistant cheaper than hiring in-house?
For most founders, yes. A full-time in-house EA costs a salary plus roughly 20 to 30 percent in employer National Insurance, pension, holiday, equipment and software, plus recruitment fees and your own management time. A freelance or fractional EA is a single monthly fee with none of those on-costs, and you only pay for the hours you actually need.
How many hours of executive assistant support do founders usually need?
Most founders start with a few hours a week, often 8 to 16 hours a month, and scale up once they see the time come back. Heavier operational loads tend to settle around 20 to 30 hours a month.
What is included in an executive assistant's cost?
With a good freelance EA the monthly fee covers the whole range of executive support: inbox and diary management, travel, expenses, research, document preparation and the recurring admin that eats your week. There should be no per-task add-ons within your hours.