TL;DR: The National Living Wage rose to £12.71 an hour in April 2026, just over £26,400 a year full time, which puts many receptionist, office junior, administrator and customer service salaries at or near the legal floor. That squeezes the gap between new starters and experienced staff. AI has already changed at least one admin process for 64% of commercial employers. Job satisfaction in commercial and office roles is 56%, the lowest of any group we survey, and salary drives two thirds of moves. The biggest benefit gap is performance bonuses.

How has the National Living Wage rise affected office and admin salaries?

From April 2026, the National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour, up from £12.21. At full-time hours that is just over £26,400 a year. The rate for 18 to 20 year olds rose to £10.85, and the government remains committed to phasing out the age difference over time.

The bigger risk is not roles falling below the floor but the floor catching up with the next grade. If a receptionist with no experience earns £26,400 and an Office Administrator with three years’ experience earns £27,500, the difference that was meant to reward experience has more or less disappeared. That is where experienced people start to leave.

The roles under most pressure, based on typical salaries in our early 2026 data:

• Office Junior or Office Assistant (typically £25,000 to £26,000): at or below the floor in some regions. Needs immediate review.
• Administrative Junior (typically £22,000 to £26,000): a significant uplift is needed in several regions.
• Receptionist (typically £26,000 to £27,000): very little headroom above the new floor.
• Customer Service Advisor (typically £26,000 to £28,000): review, particularly in lower-paying regions.
• Office Administrator (typically £26,000 to £28,000): review the difference between this and junior roles.
• Secretary or Medical Secretary (typically £26,000 to £30,000): monitor, as some regional figures need to rise.

Source: The ONE Group market data, March 2026

Employers should review the whole lower salary structure, not just the roles paid at the minimum, and model the full cost of the 18 to 20 rate where they employ younger workers.

Is AI replacing admin and customer service jobs?

It is changing them rather than replacing them. 64% of commercial employers say AI tools have changed at least one administrative process in the last 12 months, and 71% of commercial professionals use at least one AI tool regularly.

Routine correspondence, scheduling, first-line query handling, data entry and procurement coordination are all faster or partly automated compared with three years ago. The people doing well are those who have moved the freed-up time into work AI does not do well: managing relationships, solving complex problems and handling difficult situations with judgement and empathy.

• Administration and office: AI handles scheduling, travel booking, routine drafting and formatting. People handle executive support, complex diary management, stakeholder relationships and judgement calls.
• Customer service: AI handles first-line queries, FAQs, case logging and sentiment triage. People handle complaints, complex cases, retention and face-to-face service.
• Operations and procurement: AI handles purchase orders, supplier data, logistics tracking and compliance checks. People handle supplier negotiations, exceptions and strategic procurement.
• Sales and business development: AI handles CRM entry, prospect research, follow-up sequencing and proposal templates. People handle client relationships, complex negotiations and strategic accounts.
• Legal support: AI handles document review, bundling, standard precedents and time recording. People handle supervision, client contact and complex litigation support.

Source: The ONE Group employer survey, January 2026

An experienced Executive Assistant managing a leadership team’s diary is not being replaced by a scheduling tool. Repetitive, process-driven work where speed and accuracy matter more than judgement is what is under most pressure. When advertising, lead with the parts of the role that need a person. If you have brought in AI tools that free people up, say so, because candidates see that as a positive.

What is the commercial and office job market like in 2026?

Active but more selective. 44% of commercial employers plan to hire in the next six months and 41% of commercial professionals are actively or passively considering a move. Compared with the high-volume hiring of 2022 and 2023, employers are clearer about what they need and less likely to hire speculatively. That raises the bar, but it rewards candidates who can explain what they bring beyond the task list.

• Administration and office support: experienced Executive Assistants supporting senior teams are paid at the top of our ranges and regularly receive multiple offers. Office Manager roles increasingly combine facilities, events, HR admin and culture.
• Customer service: automation is reducing headcount in high-volume contact centres, while demand rises for people who can handle complex, emotional conversations. Multilingual advisors are hard to find in every region we cover.
• Legal support: Legal Secretary and Paralegal hiring is stable. Paralegals with conveyancing, family or employment law experience are in demand, with the Employment Rights Act adding demand for employment law support.
• Operations, procurement and logistics: strong Manager and Head of level candidates are hard to find, as supply chain complexity, cost pressure and sustainability have broadened the skills needed.
• Sales and business development: hiring is focused on new business. Employers want Business Development Managers who can open doors and close deals with cautious buyers and longer procurement cycles. Sales Directors are hired selectively, with a premium on those who have led teams through uncertain markets.

How much do commercial and office roles pay in 2026?

Typical salaries across our six regions in early 2026:

• Executive Assistant: £40,000 to £45,000
• Personal Assistant: £35,000 to £45,000
• Office Manager: around £35,000 in most regions, up to £38,000 in Peterborough
• Head of Operations: £65,000 to £90,000
• Head of Procurement: £65,000 to £70,000
• Operations Manager: £45,000 to £50,000
• Sales Director: £80,000 to £90,000
• Business Development Manager: £40,000 to £55,000 base
• Contact Centre Manager: £35,000 to £50,000
• Paralegal: £26,000 to £30,000

At entry level, several typical salaries in our early 2026 data sat below the new National Living Wage equivalent in some regions, so those figures will have had to rise from April. The Typical figure is the most common placement salary we see, and all figures are for permanent roles.

Source: The ONE Group commercial and office salary guide 2026. Full regional tables covering administration, customer service, legal, operations and sales are in the guide.

Did commercial and office staff get a pay rise in 2025?

Most got little or nothing. 38% received no increase in 2025 and 47% received between 1 and 4%, below inflation for most of the year. Only 15% received 5% or more.

Overall job satisfaction in commercial and office roles is 56%, the lowest of any professional group we survey. This group was hit hard by the cost of living and has seen the least salary movement to offset it.

Salary is the main reason for moving for 66% of commercial professionals, more than in our HR or finance groups. At this end of the market, going from £27,000 to £30,000 makes a real difference to living standards. Employers who expect loyalty to outweigh a 10% pay rise are likely to be disappointed.

How satisfied are commercial and office professionals with their jobs?

• Baby Boomers: 65% satisfied. Generally settled, with security and culture mattering most.
• Millennials: 59% satisfied. Salary and career progression are the main frustrations.
• Gen X: 57% satisfied. Lack of recognition and limited development are the main frustrations.
• Gen Z: 39% satisfied. Salary, flexibility and the pace of progression are the main frustrations.

Source: The ONE Group commercial candidate survey, January 2026. n=341

Do commercial and office roles offer hybrid working?

Less than other professions, because many of these roles need someone physically present. But the expectation of some flexibility has become standard, and fully office-based roles are losing candidates they used to attract.

38% of commercial professionals are currently fully office-based, but only 19% say that is what they would prefer. That 19-point gap is the largest of any group we survey. Where presence really is needed, explain why honestly and make office time feel worthwhile. Requiring it without explanation speeds up attrition in this group more than any other.

Source: The ONE Group candidate survey, January 2026

What benefits do commercial and office professionals want most?

The biggest gaps between what employers offer and what commercial professionals want are:

• Performance bonus: wanted by 38%, offered by 17%. A gap of 21 points.
• Flexible working: a gap of 20 points.
• Hybrid working: a gap of 17 points.
• Extra holiday: a gap of 16 points.
• Enhanced pension: a gap of 14 points.
• Training and development budget: a gap of 13 points.
• Private healthcare: a gap of 9 points.
• EAP and wellbeing support: offered more often than it is wanted.

Source: The ONE Group employer and candidate surveys, January 2026

With base pay under National Living Wage pressure and pay rises modest, a performance bonus gives people a way to earn more without a permanent salary increase, and shows that good work is noticed. Flexibility around core hours costs very little and removes a real barrier for people with caring responsibilities or high commuting costs. Both cost far less than replacing experienced staff.

How does the Employment Rights Act 2025 affect commercial and office teams?

The Act is usually discussed in relation to HR and finance, but it affects commercial and office functions directly. In force since April 2026:

• 6 April 2026: Statutory Sick Pay from day one, which affects cost modelling for customer service and operational teams with higher absence rates. Day-one paternity and parental leave rights, which affect cover planning. The collective redundancy protective award doubled to 180 days’ pay, which makes restructuring commercial or contact centre operations considerably riskier.
• 7 April 2026: the Fair Work Agency was established, strengthening enforcement of minimum wage, holiday pay and agency worker rules.

Still to come:

• October 2026: employment tribunal time limits extend to six months, so line manager record-keeping needs to improve.
• 1 January 2027: the unfair dismissal qualifying period drops to six months, so anyone hired from April 2026 is covered within months of joining.
• 2027: guaranteed hours obligations for zero hours workers, and employers must justify flexible working refusals in writing.

Source: Employment Rights Act 2025 / Lewis Silkin ERA dashboard, February 2026

The zero hours change matters most here. Customer service, contact centre, retail support and events teams often use zero-hours or variable-hours contracts. From 2027, workers on these contracts will have the right to a contract that reflects the hours they regularly work. Reviewing those arrangements now is much easier than reacting once the rules are in force.

What should employers hiring in commercial and office roles do in 2026?

• Review the whole lower salary structure, not just roles on the minimum wage. Compression just above the floor is where experienced people leave.
• Lead job adverts with the parts of the role that need a person. Candidates want roles with real scope, not ones being quietly automated around them.
• Benchmark salaries more than once a year. If pay has not moved in two years, people are already leaving or about to.
• Where office presence is required, explain why and make the time worthwhile.
• Consider a bonus or recognition scheme. Even a modest one changes pay from fixed to earned.
• Review zero-hours and flexible contracts ahead of the 2027 changes.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is the National Living Wage in 2026?

£12.71 an hour from April 2026, up from £12.21. That is just over £26,400 a year for a full-time worker. The rate for 18 to 20 year olds is £10.85.

Q: How much does an Executive Assistant earn in 2026?

Typically £40,000 to £45,000 across Cambridge, Essex, Hertfordshire, Northampton, Peterborough and Milton Keynes. Experienced EAs supporting senior leadership teams are paid at the top of our ranges and often have several offers.

Q: Will AI replace administrative jobs?

Our data suggests it is changing them rather than removing them. Routine tasks are being automated, while the value of judgement, relationship management and problem-solving is rising.

Q: Why do commercial and office staff leave?

Mostly for more money. Salary is the main reason for 66% of commercial professionals, and satisfaction in this group is the lowest we measure.

Q: What benefit would make the most difference to a commercial job offer?

A performance bonus. It has the biggest gap between what people want and what employers offer, and even a modest scheme gives people a route to higher earnings.

Article produced by The ONE Group | www.theonegroup.co.uk