How much does it cost to employ a full-time admin assistant in the UK?
At the legal minimum for a worker aged 21 or over — £12.71 an hour from April 2026 — a 37.5-hour week is about £24,785 a year before employer costs. Many admin roles pay more than the minimum.
On top of salary, an employer usually pays National Insurance at 15% on earnings above £5,000 a year (2026 to 2027 rates; the Employment Allowance, up to £10,500 a year, can reduce this for eligible employers) and at least 3% into a workplace pension under automatic enrolment. There are also recruitment, holiday cover, equipment and management time. Figures checked on GOV.UK on 23 September 2026 — see the sources below.
What does an admin assistant do that Torvane cannot?
Talk to people, use judgement, handle the unexpected, and do the work that is not written down: phone calls, customers, suppliers, diaries, errands.
A good assistant also notices what is missing — the certificate that never arrived — in a way software only partly does.
What does Torvane do that frees up an assistant's time?
Reading and filing every document, naming files consistently, tracking every due, expiry, renewal and notice date, and answering 'where is…' questions with the source.
Many businesses use both: software for the document backlog, a person for everything that needs a person.
When is a person clearly the better choice?
When most of the work is conversations, decisions or physical tasks, or when your documents are few and simple. Torvane is worth it when the volume of paperwork is the problem.
What does Torvane cost?
Plans are £29, £99 and £249 a month (Starter, Business, Professional); a free trial covers 50 documents, 30 questions and 3 people, with no card.
Sources
- GOV.UK — National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
- GOV.UK — Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027
- GOV.UK — Workplace pensions: what you, your employer and the government pay
Checked on 23 September 2026.
Try it on your own documents — the trial covers 50 documents, 30 questions and 3 people, with no card.
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