Secretary Average Salary in Colombo 2024
How much money does a person working as Secretary make in Colombo?
LOW
20,400
LKR AVERAGE
44,400
LKR HIGH
70,500
LKR
A person working as Secretary in Colombo typically earns around 44,400 LKR. Salaries range from 20,400 LKR (lowest) to 70,500 LKR (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Secretary salaries in Colombo vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Secretary Pay Scale and Salaries in Colombo
Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison
42,100 LKR or more
36,900 to 42,100 LKR
25,400 LKR or less
25,400 to 36,900 LKR
 20,400 LKR |
42,400 LKR |
70,500 LKR |
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries for the position Secretary in Colombo range from 20,400 LKR (starting salary) to 70,500 LKR (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
Median Salary
With a median salary of 42,400 LKR, half of the professionals who work as Secretary in Colombo earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
Percentiles and Salary Scale
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Secretary in Colombo earn less than 34,200 LKR, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 48,800 LKR while 25% earn more.
Pay Scale Structure
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Secretary in Colombo compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 25,400 LKR to 36,900 LKR. About 20% of salaries are below the 25,400 LKR mark, while 10% fall within the range of 36,900 LKR to 42,100 LKR. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 42,100 LKR.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Secretary / Colombo
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 0 - 2 Years | 23,200 LKR | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +34% | 30,900 LKR |
| 5 - 10 Years | +48% | 45,700 LKR |
| 10 - 15 Years | +22% | 55,700 LKR |
| 15 - 20 Years | +9% | 60,700 LKR |
| 20+ Years | +8% | 65,800 LKR |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Secretary and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 23,200 LKR.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 30,900 LKR, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 45,700 LKR, 48% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 55,700 LKR, 22% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 60,700 LKR, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 65,800 LKR, 8% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / Secretary / Colombo
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Secretary.
| High School | 26,400 LKR | |
| Certificate or Diploma | +57% | 41,500 LKR |
| Bachelor's Degree | +68% | 69,500 LKR |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Secretary in order to make a comparison.
Level 1: High School
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 26,400 LKR.
Level 2: Certificate or Diploma
At this level, the average salary becomes 41,500 LKR, 57% more than the previous level.
Level 3: Bachelor's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 69,500 LKR, 68% more than the previous level.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Secretary / Colombo
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Secretary in Sri Lanka, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 14%.
| Male | 37,600 LKR | |
| Female | +17% | 43,900 LKR |
Salary Comparison By Gender in Sri Lanka for all Careers
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Secretary / Colombo
How much are annual salary increments in Colombo for individuals working as Secretary? How often do employees get salary raises?
Individuals working as Secretary in Sri Lanka are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately % every months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 17 months.
Sri Lanka / All Professions
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Salary Packages and Schemes
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
Bonus and Incentive Rates / Secretary / Sri Lanka
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
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100% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while % said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from % to % of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | % | |
| No Bonus | 100% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Average Hourly Wage / Secretary / Colombo
260 LKR per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Secretary in Colombo is 260 LKR.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
About The Hourly Pay Rate
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Secretary in Colombo is 120 LKR. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Administration / Reception / Secretarial |  -100% | |
| Accreditation Specialist | 119,000 LKR |  +170% |
| Admin Clerk | 34,100 LKR | -23% |
| Admin Executive | 60,100 LKR | +36% |
| Administrative Aide | 39,800 LKR | -10% |
| Administrative Analyst | 80,500 LKR | +82% |
| Administrative Assistant | 51,300 LKR | +16% |
| Administrative Associate | 53,800 LKR | +21% |
| Administrative Coordinator | 53,100 LKR | +20% |
| Administrative Manager | 83,900 LKR | +89% |
| Administrative Officer | 54,200 LKR | +22% |
| Administrative Receptionist | 49,800 LKR | +12% |
| Administrative Secretary | 45,600 LKR | +3% |
| Administrative Specialist | 49,700 LKR | +12% |
| Administrative Support | 44,000 LKR | -1% |
| Administrative Technician | 42,200 LKR | -5% |
| Board Secretary | 46,700 LKR | +5% |
| Branch Office Administrator | 82,100 LKR | +85% |
| Business Administrator | 85,800 LKR | +93% |
| Business Office Manager | 129,000 LKR | +190% |
| Central Office Operator | 51,800 LKR | +17% |
| Clerical Assistant | 33,800 LKR | -24% |
| Clerk | 35,600 LKR | -20% |
| Commercial Administrator | 75,800 LKR | +71% |
| Commissions Processor | 67,200 LKR | +52% |
| Conveyancing Secretary | 48,000 LKR | +8% |
| Corporate Receptionist | 52,300 LKR | +18% |
| Creditors Clerk | 47,800 LKR | +8% |
| Data Entry Clerk | 34,200 LKR | -23% |
| Data Entry Specialist | 50,900 LKR | +15% |
| Document Controller | 44,800 LKR | +1% |
| Document Management Specialist | 66,700 LKR | +50% |
| Executive Administrative Assistant | 59,700 LKR | +35% |
| Executive Assistant | 57,900 LKR | +31% |
| Executive Officer | 67,500 LKR | +52% |
| Executive Personal Assistant | 69,000 LKR | +56% |
| Executive Secretary | 54,900 LKR | +24% |
| File Clerk | 34,800 LKR | -22% |
| Front Desk Attendant | 52,900 LKR | +19% |
| Front Desk Coordinator | 59,300 LKR | +34% |
| Front Desk Manager | 83,000 LKR | +87% |
| Front Desk Receptionist | 50,100 LKR | +13% |
| Front Desk Shift Leader | 61,800 LKR | +39% |
| Front Office Assistant | 44,900 LKR | +1% |
| Front Office Executive | 60,200 LKR | +36% |
| Group Services Manager | 141,000 LKR | +220% |
| Head Receptionist | 62,900 LKR | +42% |
| Inquiry and Admissions Clerk | 33,200 LKR | -25% |
| Key Account Assistant | 58,000 LKR | +31% |
| Keyboard and Data Entry Operator | 32,800 LKR | -26% |
| Leasing Administrator | 63,500 LKR | +43% |
| Legal Secretary | 52,200 LKR | +18% |
| Librarian | 62,100 LKR | +40% |
| Mail Processing Clerk | 30,000 LKR | -32% |
| Mail Sorting Clerk | 31,900 LKR | -28% |
| Mailroom Clerk | 29,300 LKR | -34% |
| Mailroom Manager | 60,300 LKR | +36% |
| Management Support Secretary | 54,700 LKR | +23% |
| Master Programme Coordinator | 104,000 LKR | +130% |
| Medical Receptionist | 57,500 LKR | +30% |
| Meeting and Event Assistant | 59,700 LKR | +35% |
| Meeting and Event Manager | 128,000 LKR | +190% |
| Night Manager | 75,200 LKR | +70% |
| Office Administrator | 82,100 LKR | +85% |
| Office Assistant | 35,100 LKR | -21% |
| Office Automation Clerk | 62,600 LKR | +41% |
| Office Clerk | 39,800 LKR | -10% |
| Office Coordinator | 50,000 LKR | +13% |
| Office Manager | 85,000 LKR | +92% |
| Office Services Coordinator | 70,900 LKR | +60% |
| Office Supervisor | 66,200 LKR | +49% |
| Operations Analyst | 107,000 LKR | +140% |
| Operations Clerk | 57,800 LKR | +30% |
| Operations Manager | 140,000 LKR | +220% |
| Personal Assistant | 53,900 LKR | +22% |
| Planning Assistant | 62,000 LKR | +40% |
| Process Expert | 80,200 LKR | +81% |
| Program Coordinator | 73,400 LKR | +65% |
| Programme Assistant | 62,400 LKR | +41% |
| Project Administrator | 87,600 LKR | +98% |
| Project Coordinator | 118,000 LKR | +170% |
| Query Administrator | 63,300 LKR | +43% |
| Reception Team Lead | 68,700 LKR | +55% |
| Receptionist | 48,400 LKR | +9% |
| Records Officer | 43,800 LKR | -1% |
| Registry Administrator | 54,300 LKR | +22% |
| Registry and Filing Clerk | 35,900 LKR | -19% |
| Rental Clerk | 35,400 LKR | -20% |
| Schedule Officer | 34,200 LKR | -23% |
| Scheduler | 39,200 LKR | -12% |
| School Secretary | 47,900 LKR | +8% |
| Secretary | 44,400 LKR | +0% |
| Service Reception Head | 60,800 LKR | +37% |
| Switchboard Operator | 44,100 LKR | -1% |
| Technical Program Manager | 119,000 LKR | +170% |
| Technical Project Manager | 121,000 LKR | +170% |
| Typist | 41,000 LKR | -8% |
| Unit Secretary | 46,800 LKR | +6% |
| Wayleave Officer | 35,600 LKR | -20% |
Salary Comparison By City
| City | Average Salary |
| Colombo | 44,400 LKR |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Sri Lanka is 8% on average across all career fields.
| Private Sector | 86,300 LKR | |
| Public Sector | +8% | 92,900 LKR |
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Secretary in Colombo?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 42,400 LKR and 48,800 LKR. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
Base / Basic Salary
The base salary for a careers like Secretary in Colombo ranges from 20,400 LKR to 34,200 LKR. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
