Secretary and Administrative Assistant Salary by State
How much secretaries and administrative assistants earn in each state. SOC code 43-6014 (Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$47,540Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$49,350Average of all workers
- Median hourly wage$22.86Mean $23.73/hour
- U.S. employment1,706,790Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateDistrict of Columbia$61,270 mean
- States with data51 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do secretaries and administrative assistants make?
Nationally, secretaries and administrative assistants earn a median of $47,540 a year and a mean of $49,350 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $38,830 (25th percentile) and $58,000 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $33,280 and the top 10% more than $66,350.
That median is 0.9× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $61,270 in District of Columbia (highest) to $39,590 in Mississippi (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, Connecticut comes out on top at $55,222 in national-average dollars.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $33,280 | $2,773 | $16.00 |
| 25th | $38,830 | $3,236 | $18.67 |
| Median | $47,540 | $3,962 | $22.86 |
| 75th | $58,000 | $4,833 | $27.88 |
| 90th | $66,350 | $5,529 | $31.90 |
| Mean | $49,350 | $4,112 | $23.73 |
25th and 75th percentile hourly figures are annual ÷ 2,080 hours.
Secretary and Administrative Assistant salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $61,270 | $59,910 | $28.80 | $39,480 | $84,290 | $54,513 | 11,800 |
| Connecticut | $58,390 | $57,210 | $27.51 | $40,700 | $78,300 | $55,222 | 22,650 |
| Massachusetts | $58,380 | $57,940 | $27.86 | $41,510 | $78,400 | $54,764 | 37,750 |
| Washington | $58,130 | $57,330 | $27.56 | $43,250 | $74,750 | $53,579 | 31,710 |
| California | $57,710 | $55,400 | $26.64 | $38,060 | $78,170 | $50,045 | 158,630 |
| Oregon | $54,070 | $51,740 | $24.88 | $38,480 | $70,320 | $50,039 | 23,150 |
| Rhode Island | $53,790 | $52,140 | $25.07 | $38,000 | $72,800 | $50,968 | 5,200 |
| New Jersey | $52,910 | $50,260 | $24.16 | $36,150 | $72,180 | $46,195 | 65,960 |
| Hawaii | $52,870 | $50,830 | $24.44 | $38,480 | $68,120 | $46,209 | 7,020 |
| Minnesota | $52,690 | $51,400 | $24.71 | $38,080 | $66,830 | $52,130 | 31,330 |
| Illinois | $52,070 | $48,310 | $23.23 | $31,930 | $76,790 | $48,310 | 74,280 |
| New York | $51,490 | $49,600 | $23.85 | $37,330 | $64,840 | $45,968 | 122,490 |
| Maine | $51,220 | $49,820 | $23.95 | $39,530 | $63,470 | $51,361 | 6,740 |
| Maryland | $50,790 | $48,680 | $23.41 | $35,360 | $67,070 | $46,362 | 54,890 |
| Colorado | $50,700 | $48,690 | $23.41 | $37,300 | $64,960 | $47,226 | 29,120 |
| Vermont | $50,160 | $48,920 | $23.52 | $39,330 | $61,740 | $49,918 | 3,360 |
| Arizona | $50,130 | $47,940 | $23.05 | $36,420 | $67,980 | $47,607 | 31,220 |
| Virginia | $49,720 | $47,620 | $22.89 | $34,040 | $66,700 | $47,102 | 31,580 |
| Alaska | $49,510 | $48,530 | $23.33 | $35,360 | $64,620 | $47,393 | 5,390 |
| Delaware | $49,140 | $47,970 | $23.06 | $35,930 | $64,170 | $48,066 | 6,320 |
| New Hampshire | $49,000 | $48,080 | $23.12 | $34,380 | $63,690 | $46,142 | 9,050 |
| Wisconsin | $48,830 | $47,710 | $22.94 | $36,680 | $61,940 | $50,701 | 28,100 |
| Florida | $48,730 | $45,900 | $22.07 | $33,380 | $63,340 | $44,391 | 104,000 |
| Nevada | $48,160 | $46,570 | $22.39 | $34,180 | $63,210 | $46,570 | 16,790 |
| Nebraska | $47,820 | $46,760 | $22.48 | $35,900 | $62,130 | $51,898 | 16,240 |
| Michigan | $47,710 | $46,020 | $22.12 | $33,360 | $63,950 | $47,838 | 40,830 |
| Utah | $47,530 | $47,050 | $22.62 | $31,600 | $63,850 | $47,573 | 14,870 |
| North Dakota | $47,420 | $47,480 | $22.83 | $34,920 | $60,780 | $53,348 | 5,800 |
| New Mexico | $47,380 | $46,450 | $22.33 | $33,870 | $61,820 | $50,380 | 25,430 |
| Ohio | $47,360 | $46,230 | $22.22 | $32,130 | $63,150 | $49,817 | 54,790 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,570 | $46,270 | $22.25 | $32,040 | $61,800 | $47,408 | 65,310 |
| North Carolina | $46,200 | $45,790 | $22.01 | $31,720 | $61,750 | $48,558 | 43,690 |
| Tennessee | $46,140 | $45,810 | $22.03 | $29,660 | $63,130 | $49,848 | 34,580 |
| Wyoming | $45,890 | $45,450 | $21.85 | $35,140 | $61,150 | $49,029 | 2,250 |
| Texas | $45,850 | $45,140 | $21.70 | $29,810 | $63,020 | $46,488 | 149,650 |
| Iowa | $45,770 | $45,150 | $21.71 | $33,880 | $60,760 | $51,424 | 12,830 |
| South Carolina | $45,010 | $44,880 | $21.58 | $29,100 | $61,660 | $47,898 | 30,180 |
| Kentucky | $44,840 | $44,200 | $21.25 | $30,470 | $60,470 | $49,002 | 18,420 |
| Indiana | $44,770 | $44,270 | $21.29 | $31,220 | $60,160 | $47,449 | 20,100 |
| Missouri | $44,750 | $43,540 | $20.93 | $30,890 | $60,270 | $47,952 | 33,180 |
| Idaho | $43,920 | $43,710 | $21.01 | $29,890 | $58,820 | $45,770 | 7,570 |
| Montana | $43,420 | $43,940 | $21.13 | $30,430 | $55,970 | $46,448 | 4,520 |
| Georgia | $43,340 | $41,600 | $20.00 | $26,330 | $62,090 | $43,198 | 44,430 |
| Kansas | $43,340 | $42,270 | $20.32 | $30,340 | $58,690 | $46,915 | 32,120 |
| Alabama | $43,060 | $41,630 | $20.01 | $29,170 | $59,090 | $46,881 | 45,050 |
| South Dakota | $42,030 | $41,700 | $20.05 | $31,200 | $51,480 | $47,065 | 6,120 |
| West Virginia | $41,990 | $40,370 | $19.41 | $28,820 | $57,970 | $45,106 | 8,820 |
| Oklahoma | $41,070 | $39,660 | $19.07 | $27,110 | $56,630 | $45,171 | 20,120 |
| Louisiana | $40,370 | $38,790 | $18.65 | $26,680 | $56,340 | $43,980 | 28,040 |
| Arkansas | $39,890 | $37,630 | $18.09 | $28,540 | $55,060 | $43,303 | 8,590 |
| Mississippi | $39,590 | $37,340 | $17.95 | $25,770 | $57,870 | $42,920 | 14,720 |
Highest median pay
- District of Columbia — $59,910
- Massachusetts — $57,940
- Washington — $57,330
- Connecticut — $57,210
- California — $55,400
Lowest median pay
- Mississippi — $37,340
- Arkansas — $37,630
- Louisiana — $38,790
- Oklahoma — $39,660
- West Virginia — $40,370
Best pay after cost of living
- Connecticut — $55,222
- Massachusetts — $54,764
- District of Columbia — $54,513
- Washington — $53,579
- North Dakota — $53,348
The most secretaries and administrative assistants work in California (158,630 jobs), Texas and New York.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a secretary and administrative assistant make?
The national median wage for secretaries and administrative assistants is $47,540 a year and the mean is $49,350, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays secretaries and administrative assistants the most?
District of Columbia has the highest mean wage for secretaries and administrative assistants at $61,270.
Which state pays secretaries and administrative assistants the least?
Mississippi has the lowest mean wage for secretaries and administrative assistants among states with published data, at $39,590.
Where do secretaries and administrative assistants earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, Connecticut ranks first at $55,222 in national-average dollars, followed by Massachusetts and District of Columbia.