What is the take-home for a £28,294 administrator?

On the £28,294 full-time median, take-home in England in 2026/27 is about £23,891 a year (£1,991 a month) with no pension contribution, after 20% Income Tax on pay above £12,570 and 8% National Insurance. With a 5% pension contribution by salary sacrifice it is about £22,873 a year. A contribution through a net pay or relief-at-source scheme gives a slightly different figure.

What is the difference between an admin assistant and an administrator?

It is mostly seniority and scope. Admin assistants and office juniors handle general clerical support; administrators and office managers own processes, systems or a function. Both fall under ONS SOC 2020 code 4159, whose ASHE 2025 full-time pay runs from £21,390 at the 10th percentile to £42,410 at the 90th. ONS does not publish the two roles separately.

Does an administrator pay 40% tax?

Not on the median. At £28,294 an administrator is a 20% basic-rate taxpayer. 40% Income Tax applies only to pay above £50,270 outside Scotland. Even the ASHE 90th percentile of £42,410 is below the threshold, so at least nine in ten full-time administrators earn less than it.

Administrator Salary 2026/27: What You Take Home

Office administrators and admin assistants earn a full-time median of £28,294 (ONS ASHE 2025, SOC 2020 4159), with a 10th-to-90th percentile range of £21,390 to £42,410. The median sits inside the 20% basic-rate tax band.

Typical pay & take-home

Median gross: £28,294
ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £21,390–£42,410
Take-home at median: £23,891 England, no pension applied — use the salary calculator for your scheme.

At the median for this profession, you earn 28% below the UK full-time median (£39,039), placing you between the 10th percentile (£23,990) and the 25th percentile (£29,262) of UK full-time earnings.

See exact take-home for £28,294 →

What influences office administrator / admin assistant pay

The ONS ASHE 2025 full-time median for other administrative occupations was £28,294 (provisional, Table 14.7a Annual pay Gross, SOC 2020 code 4159), with a 10th-to-90th percentile range of £21,390 to £42,410 and a middle half of £24,636 to £34,741. This is a broad group covering everything from entry-level admin assistants to experienced office managers and specialist administrators, which is why the range is wide. ONS does not split it by seniority or sector.

An administrator on the £28,294 median is a basic-rate taxpayer: after the £12,570 personal allowance, pay is taxed at 20% Income Tax plus 8% Class 1 NI up to £50,270. Even the ASHE 90th percentile of £42,410 is below the threshold, so at least nine in ten full-time administrators earn less than it.

Auto-enrolment into a workplace pension applies to eligible employees, and the contribution changes take-home: the FAQ below shows the median with no pension and with a 5% salary sacrifice.

Career progression

ASHE does not publish administrative pay by seniority. These are points in the April 2025 full-time pay distribution for SOC 2020 4159.
10th percentile: £21,390.
Lower quartile: £24,636.
Median: £28,294.
Upper quartile: £34,741.
90th percentile: £42,410.
Progression into PA/EA, operations, HR, bookkeeping or Civil Service EO/HEO grades.

Frequently asked questions

What is the take-home for a £28,294 administrator?: On the £28,294 full-time median, take-home in England in 2026/27 is about £23,891 a year (£1,991 a month) with no pension contribution, after 20% Income Tax on pay above £12,570 and 8% National Insurance. With a 5% pension contribution by salary sacrifice it is about £22,873 a year. A contribution through a net pay or relief-at-source scheme gives a slightly different figure.
What is the difference between an admin assistant and an administrator?: It is mostly seniority and scope. Admin assistants and office juniors handle general clerical support; administrators and office managers own processes, systems or a function. Both fall under ONS SOC 2020 code 4159, whose ASHE 2025 full-time pay runs from £21,390 at the 10th percentile to £42,410 at the 90th. ONS does not publish the two roles separately.
Does an administrator pay 40% tax?: Not on the median. At £28,294 an administrator is a 20% basic-rate taxpayer. 40% Income Tax applies only to pay above £50,270 outside Scotland. Even the ASHE 90th percentile of £42,410 is below the threshold, so at least nine in ten full-time administrators earn less than it.

All UK professions →

Sources

ONS - ASHE 2025 Table 14.7a, annual pay by SOC 2020 occupation (occupational pay)
ONS — Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (UK full-time median and percentiles)
HMRC — Rates and thresholds 2026/27
Our full methodology & calculation sources →