Reviewed by Stan, Head of Hiring Department, TLNT.ae"Assistant" in Dubai covers very different jobs: a person who keeps the office diary and the paperwork, a personal assistant who runs an owner's day, an executive assistant to a director, a family office assistant who handles private matters, a virtual assistant working remotely, and an assistant to a clinic owner. They are paid very differently. This guide gives market estimates in AED per month for each type, explains what moves the number and how to read a package, so you can set a realistic budget before you start the search.
Talk to usMarket estimate in AED per month, full-time employee in Dubai. These are orientation ranges, not a rate card, and they follow the ranges on our executive assistant and personal assistant pages and in the office staff salaries guide.
| Assistant type | What the job is | AED per month |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative assistant | diary, documents, supplier and visitor coordination | 5,000 - 8,000 |
| Personal assistant, entry | errands, calendar, bookings for one person | 5,000 - 7,000 |
| Personal assistant, experienced | runs the owner's day, households, travel | 8,000 - 10,000 |
| Personal assistant, senior | full trust, many moving parts | 12,000+ |
| Executive assistant | supports an owner or director | 12,000 - 20,000 |
| Assistant to C-level or family office | confidentiality, travel, private matters | 20,000 - 30,000 |
| Clinic or salon owner's assistant | calendar, suppliers, paperwork, reporting | 7,000 - 14,000 |
| Virtual assistant | remote, fixed hours or tasks per month | orientation 3,000 - 8,000 |
Two assistants with the same title can differ by 50% or more. These factors usually decide where a person sits in the range.
In the UAE the package is usually split into basic salary and allowances such as housing and transport. The split matters for the employer, because end-of-service gratuity is calculated from basic salary only.
A virtual assistant is not a cheaper copy of an office assistant. The scope is narrower: tasks that do not need a physical presence. A remote assistant is often paid by fixed monthly hours or by task, so compare the cost per useful hour, not the monthly number alone.
If you hire several office roles, keep the grades coherent. An administrative assistant sits next to an office administrator, an executive assistant above an office manager in trust level but in a similar money range, and a family office assistant at the top. Paying an assistant far above the office manager they report to usually creates friction, so decide the structure first and the numbers second.
TLNT is a hiring consultancy. For assistant roles we help you define which type of assistant you actually need, set the salary range as a market estimate, find and assess candidates with a practical skills assessment (for example a diary with conflicting meetings, a travel itinerary, a draft reply to a difficult email) and prepare a clear offer. You make the hiring decision and agree the terms with the candidate yourself; the person is employed directly by your company, the employer sponsors the visa and we give you a step-by-step checklist.
Our fee is fixed for each role and agreed before the search starts. A 10% prepayment of the fee starts the search, the rest is due once the person has started work. If it does not work out, we find a replacement free of charge; the period is set in the contract. Consulting and CRM projects are priced after a free review.
Market estimate: about 5,000 - 7,000 AED per month at entry level, 8,000 - 10,000 AED for an experienced personal assistant and 12,000 AED and above for a senior one. An executive assistant to an owner or director is usually 12,000 - 20,000 AED, and 20,000 - 30,000 AED for a C-level or family office role.
Often the monthly number is lower, as an orientation 3,500 - 8,000 AED depending on hours, but the scope is narrower because a remote person cannot receive guests or handle originals. Compare the cost per useful hour and check the working arrangement before you decide.
Our fee is fixed for each role and agreed before the search starts. A 10% prepayment of the fee starts the search, the rest is due once the person has started work. If it does not work out, we find a replacement free of charge; the period is set in the contract.
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Message on WhatsAppReviewed by Stan, Head of Hiring Department, TLNT.aeCite as: TLNT.ae, "Assistant salary in Dubai market estimate by assistant type, 2026", 2026, https://tlnt.ae/en/guides/assistant-salary-dubai-2026/. Prepared by TLNT.ae, a hiring consultancy working in the UAE since 2022.