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Personal Assistant

ANZSCO 521111

A Personal Assistant supports managers by handling correspondence, scheduling, travel arrangements, and preparing for meetings.

  • This role has a low level of AI exposure. Core skills such as adaptability, social intelligence, and complex physical tasks remain beyond the capabilities of current AI.
AI exposure data adapted from Felten, Raj & Seamans (2021). Shortage data sourced from Jobs and Skills Australia (2024).

How do I become a personal assistant

Get qualified to work as a personal assistant with a course recognised across Australia. Speak to a training provider to learn more.

Common questions

In Australia, a full time Personal Assistant generally earns $1,538 per week ($79,976 annual salary) before tax. This is a median figure for full-time employees and should be considered a guide only. As you gain more experience can you expect a higher salary than people who are new to the role.

Author Image Courses.com.au Team

There are currently 52,500 Personal Assistants employed in Australia right now and this job has been in decline over the past 5 years. Personal Assistants work in all industries and employment sectors — from small business through to large corporations.

Source: Australian Government Labour Market Insights

Author Image Courses.com.au Team

Personal Assistants need outstanding word processing, keyboarding and communication skills. A Certificate III in Business Administration will develop your keyboarding skills, and a Certificate IV In Business will develop your organisational skills — plus introduce you to a range of computer applications. These courses take 6-12 months to complete. Vendor qualifications in various Microsoft and Adobe Applications (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Photoshop, Illustrator) may also be helpful.

Author Image Courses.com.au Team

Further reading

How to start a career as a Personal Assistant

2nd December 2021

What are the Top 3 Skills of an Executive Assistant?

21st December 2022

How to start a career as a Paralegal

20th July 2021

Personal Assistant careers

Personal Assistants (also known as PAs) support managers and professional work teams. They take care of business correspondence, appointments, travel arrangements for their manager, as well as maintain confidential files and documents.

As a Personal Assistant you’ll be preparing your manager for meetings and conferences, often carrying out background research and making briefing notes. At times you may attend meetings along with your manager to take minutes or setup presentation materials. You’ll also be answering the phone and screening their calls.