The right way to hire an executive assistant depends on weekly workload: task-based virtual support under ten hours, a fractional EA for one to four days, a full time hire above that, and AI-trained support wherever automation can shrink the workload itself.
There are now four credible ways to hire executive assistant support in the UK, and they are not interchangeable. Choosing by price alone is how companies end up re-hiring six months later.
This guide sets out the four models, what each genuinely costs, and a simple way to decide based on your actual workload rather than a job title.
The cheapest entry point. You assign defined tasks, a pool of generalists completes them, and you pay per hour or per task. This works for simple, repeatable work with a clear brief: data entry, research, booking travel to a specification.
It breaks down the moment you need someone to exercise judgement or own an outcome. If you find yourself writing detailed briefs for everything, you are doing the managing the assistant was meant to remove.
A named senior assistant, typically two to four days a week, who owns areas of your week rather than waiting for tasks. Diary, inbox, travel, meeting preparation, and often the back office processes behind them.
At two days a week, a fractional engagement through a provider costs a fraction of a full time hire. There is no recruitment fee, no notice period beyond a few weeks, and trained cover when your assistant is away. This is the model that fits most founders, and it scales up or down with the business, especially through a [managed executive assistant agency](/blog/managed-executive-assistant-agency). See [what a fractional engagement includes](/blog/fractional-ea-services), and the finer distinction in [fractional EA versus fractional PA](/blog/fractional-ea-vs-fractional-pa).
The right answer once the workload reliably exceeds four days a week and the role is stable. In London, salaries run £45,000 to £70,000, which becomes roughly £5,000 to £6,500 a month once employer National Insurance, pension, equipment and management time are included.
Budget for the lead time: advertising, interviewing and a one to three month notice period means two to three months before someone starts, and a bad hire costs both the fee and the quarter. Many companies de-risk this by starting fractionally, learning what the role really is, then hiring into certainty.
This is a layer on top of the other three rather than a separate model, and it is increasingly the deciding factor. An AI-trained assistant does the traditional remit, then maps the recurring admin behind it and automates it using the tools you already own.
The effect compounds. A traditional assistant manages a heavy workload; an AI-trained one makes the workload itself smaller month after month. When you screen candidates, the question that separates them is simple: show me a workflow you built, not a tool you have used.
Track your admin for one honest week. Count the hours, then classify them: defined tasks you could brief a stranger on, judgement work that needs someone who knows you, and recurring process work that could be automated away.
Whichever route you take, sequence the onboarding the same way. Weeks one and two are diary and inbox only. Weeks three and four add travel, meeting preparation and the first process map. Months two and three are where automation and wider back office ownership begin. Expecting everything in week one is the most common way a good arrangement fails early. Our [90-day onboarding plan](/blog/onboarding-an-executive-assistant) lays this out week by week.
Headline rates hide most of the cost of employment and most of the value of flexibility. This is the comparison on a like-for-like monthly basis.
Interviews alone are a poor predictor for this role. A short paid exercise, close to the real work, tells you far more than another round of questions.
Hiring for the job title rather than the workload is the expensive one. A senior title on a ten-hour workload produces a frustrated hire; a junior profile on a founder's full remit produces a failure that gets blamed on the person.
The second is skipping the written scope. One page stating what the assistant owns, what they escalate and what success looks like at ninety days prevents nearly every early-stage disappointment.
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in London? A full time executive assistant in London costs £45,000 to £70,000 in salary, roughly £5,000 to £6,500 a month with employer costs included. A fractional executive assistant at two days a week costs a fraction of that, with no recruitment fee.
Should I hire a virtual assistant or a fractional EA? A virtual assistant suits defined tasks you can brief clearly. A fractional executive assistant suits leaders who need someone to own the diary, inbox and back office with judgement. If you are writing detailed instructions for everything, you need the latter.
How long does it take to hire an executive assistant? A permanent hire typically takes two to three months including advertising, interviews and notice periods. A fractional assistant through a provider can start within one to two weeks.
What should I screen for in 2026? Beyond the traditional competencies, screen for AI fluency: ask candidates to walk through a workflow or automation they have personally built and maintained, including what they chose not to automate and why.
More insights | Alvara Partners