Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$33,280
- 25th Percentile — Junior$38,830
- 50th Percentile — Median$47,540
- 75th Percentile — Senior$58,000
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$66,350
The top 10% of Secretaries and Administrative Assistants earn $66,350 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $33,280, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
What Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Do
Role, training and entry requirements
Secretaries and administrative assistants keep offices running: managing schedules, answering calls, preparing documents and correspondence, organizing files, and coordinating meetings. This figure excludes legal, medical, and executive assistants, which BLS counts separately.
How to become one
A high school diploma is the usual minimum, with office skills learned through experience or short training programs. Strong software, communication, and organizational skills matter more than formal credentials.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $61,270 | +24.2% |
| Connecticut | $58,390 | +18.3% |
| Massachusetts | $58,380 | +18.3% |
| Washington | $58,130 | +17.8% |
| California | $57,710 | +16.9% |
| Oregon | $54,070 | +9.6% |
| Rhode Island | $53,790 | +9.0% |
| New Jersey | $52,910 | +7.2% |
| Hawaii | $52,870 | +7.1% |
| Minnesota | $52,690 | +6.8% |
| Illinois | $52,070 | +5.5% |
| New York | $51,490 | +4.3% |
| Maine | $51,220 | +3.8% |
| Maryland | $50,790 | +2.9% |
| Colorado | $50,700 | +2.7% |
| Vermont | $50,160 | +1.6% |
| Arizona | $50,130 | +1.6% |
| Virginia | $49,720 | +0.7% |
| Alaska | $49,510 | +0.3% |
| Delaware | $49,140 | -0.4% |
| New Hampshire | $49,000 | -0.7% |
| Wisconsin | $48,830 | -1.1% |
| Florida | $48,730 | -1.3% |
| Nevada | $48,160 | -2.4% |
| Nebraska | $47,820 | -3.1% |
| Michigan | $47,710 | -3.3% |
| Utah | $47,530 | -3.7% |
| North Dakota | $47,420 | -3.9% |
| New Mexico | $47,380 | -4.0% |
| Ohio | $47,360 | -4.0% |
| Pennsylvania | $46,570 | -5.6% |
| North Carolina | $46,200 | -6.4% |
| Tennessee | $46,140 | -6.5% |
| Wyoming | $45,890 | -7.0% |
| Texas | $45,850 | -7.1% |
| Iowa | $45,770 | -7.3% |
| South Carolina | $45,010 | -8.8% |
| Kentucky | $44,840 | -9.1% |
| Indiana | $44,770 | -9.3% |
| Missouri | $44,750 | -9.3% |
| Idaho | $43,920 | -11.0% |
| Montana | $43,420 | -12.0% |
| Georgia | $43,340 | -12.2% |
| Kansas | $43,340 | -12.2% |
| Alabama | $43,060 | -12.7% |
| South Dakota | $42,030 | -14.8% |
| West Virginia | $41,990 | -14.9% |
| Oklahoma | $41,070 | -16.8% |
| Louisiana | $40,370 | -18.2% |
| Arkansas | $39,890 | -19.2% |
| Mississippi | $39,590 | -19.8% |
What Factors Affect Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: District of Columbia pays an average of $61,270, while Mississippi pays $39,590 — a gap of $21,680 per year.
Pay depends on the employer and the scope of the role. Assistants in government, professional services, and large companies tend to earn more than those in small offices, and taking on office management or bookkeeping duties can raise pay.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants?
The average salary for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in the United States is $49,350 per year, with a median of $47,540.
What is the starting salary for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants?
Entry-level Secretaries and Administrative Assistants typically earn between $33,280 and $38,830 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Secretaries and Administrative Assistants the most?
District of Columbia pays Secretaries and Administrative Assistants the most at $61,270 per year on average, followed by Connecticut ($58,390) and Massachusetts ($58,380).
How much do Secretaries and Administrative Assistants make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $49,350, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants earn approximately $23.73 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Secretaries and Administrative Assistants a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 1,706,790 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $49,350 and a median of $47,540 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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