Company Secretary
Make sure a company meets all its legal, regulatory and governance obligations.
This UK company secretary career guide covers what the role involves day to day, typical salary at each stage, the usual entry route, the skills employers expect, and related careers worth comparing.
Quick facts
- Starting salary
- £35,000 - £48,000
- Mid-career salary
- £55,000 - £80,000
- Senior salary
- £90,000 - £150,000
- Work environment
- Office or hybrid
- Time to entry
- 2 - 5 years
- Degree required
- Often required
- Category
- Business, Finance and Legal
What a Company Secretary does
Make sure a company meets all its legal, regulatory and governance obligations.
- Listed Company Secretary - Run plc board and listing rules compliance.
- Private Company Sec - Company secretarial for PE / large private firms.
- Subsidiary Governance - Manage subsidiary governance across groups.
- Charity / NFP Cosec - Governance for charities and NFPs.
How to become a Company Secretary
- Look up Company Secretary roles on LinkedIn or Indeed and read 5 real job ads
- Talk to someone already working as a Company Secretary - even a 15-minute call helps
- Find one beginner course or qualification used by people in this role
- Build one small piece of evidence you've explored this (project, shadowing, short course)
- Apply to one entry-level role or related opportunity within the next month
Key skills
- Governance
- Companies Act
- Board comms
- Drafting
- Discretion