Know your worth: Salaries of receptionists and PAs in the UAE

Receptionists are an important cog in the wheel of any organisation as they are often one of the first people a new customer or client interacts with.

As they make the first impression of any firm, they need to be good and be able to create a positive one that will last, at least until the important meeting with a senior official takes place.

The job of a receptionist is, more often than not, considered an entry-level job and if the candidates prove themselves, they have the potential to assume senior roles over the course of their employment in an organisation.

As far as salaries are concerned, the average salary of a receptionist in the UAE falls under the Dh10,000-bracket although there may be exceptions to this rule.

According to Bayt.com data, the average salary of a receptionist in the country is approximately Dh6,017 and can vary between Dh2,500 and Dh9,944, depending on experience, skill-set, the organisation, among other factors.

Data shared by executive search firm Charterhouse Middle East reveals that a receptionist in the country can make anything between Dh8,000 and Dh14,000 per month.

Hays Middle East, another recruitment consultancy, puts the average salary at Dh13,000, with the range between Dh10,000 and Dh16,000.

N the other hand, PAs (personal assistants) in the UAE can expect to land a better pay-grade. PAs and executive assistants can earn anything between Dh10,000 and Dh25,000 per month, reckons Charterhouse.

Bayt.com puts the average salary of a PA at Dh11,018 per month with the range between Dh5,000 and Dh18,000.

According to Hays’ estimates, personal assistants’ salaries range between Dh13,000 and Dh20,000 per month, and executive assistants’ vary between Dh20,000 and Dh30,000.

Bayt.com puts the average salary figure for EAs at Dh12,684 per month. The job portal revealed to this website that the salary for executive assistants ranges between Dh6,000 and Dh21,000.

“Salaries within professional support remain stable with limited salary increases. We do see that salaries vary, depending upon experience, language skills, level of computer skills, potential management of staff and how demanding the role will be.

“Certainly, receptionist roles tend to be entry level administration positions and a large number of clients will recruit receptionists with the view to promote them to more senior administration positions,” Claire Smith, Associate Director for Professional Support at Charterhouse, told Emirates 24|7.

To be a good receptionist and a PA in the UAE, candidates should be cooperative, helpful and flexible team players, and who have good communication skills in English and Arabic.

The most desirable experience is managerial quality with the ability to manage on behalf of their seniors, followed by computer skills, said a Bayt.com spokesperson.

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