Sort by any column. Employment is the number of secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Salary by State (2026)
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive earn the most in District of Columbia at $59,910 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $25,730 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $47,540. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $59,910
- National median
- $47,540
- Lowest median
- $25,730
- States reporting
- 54
District of Columbia
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
- 1. District of Columbia$59,910 median · $54,513 adjusted · 11,800 employed
- 2. Massachusetts$57,940 median · $54,786 adjusted · 37,750 employed
- 3. Washington$57,330 median · $53,573 adjusted · 31,710 employed
- 4. Connecticut$57,210 median · $55,217 adjusted · 22,650 employed
- 5. California$55,400 median · $50,036 adjusted · 158,630 employed
Lowest-paying states for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
- 54. Puerto Rico$25,730 median · no price parity · 17,810 employed
- 53. Guam$36,030 median · no price parity · 1,610 employed
- 52. Mississippi$37,340 median · $42,943 adjusted · 14,720 employed
- 51. Arkansas$37,630 median · $43,284 adjusted · 8,590 employed
- 50. Louisiana$38,790 median · $43,976 adjusted · 28,040 employed
Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $59,910 | $47,370 | $73,340 | 11,800 | $54,513 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $57,940 | $48,150 | $64,240 | 37,750 | $54,786 |
| 3 | Washington | $57,330 | $48,840 | $64,620 | 31,710 | $53,573 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $57,210 | $47,630 | $66,050 | 22,650 | $55,217 |
| 5 | California | $55,400 | $46,390 | $65,400 | 158,630 | $50,036 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $52,140 | $44,770 | $61,630 | 5,200 | $50,978 |
| 7 | Oregon | $51,740 | $45,460 | $61,020 | 23,150 | $50,058 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $51,400 | $44,860 | $60,540 | 31,330 | $52,119 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $50,830 | $43,920 | $60,410 | 7,020 | $46,230 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $50,260 | $43,200 | $61,370 | 65,960 | $46,193 |
| 11 | Maine | $49,820 | $44,750 | $57,570 | 6,740 | $51,334 |
| 12 | New York | $49,600 | $43,920 | $59,100 | 122,490 | $45,960 |
| 13 | Vermont | $48,920 | $44,340 | $56,620 | 3,360 | $49,940 |
| 14 | Colorado | $48,690 | $42,840 | $58,170 | 29,120 | $47,248 |
| 15 | Maryland | $48,680 | $41,030 | $59,290 | 54,890 | $46,380 |
| 16 | Alaska | $48,530 | $41,760 | $58,910 | 5,390 | $47,412 |
| 17 | Illinois | $48,310 | $39,050 | $61,180 | 74,280 | $48,330 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $48,080 | $40,880 | $56,680 | 9,050 | $46,158 |
| 19 | Delaware | $47,970 | $40,230 | $58,600 | 6,320 | $48,062 |
| 20 | Arizona | $47,940 | $40,510 | $55,860 | 31,220 | $47,618 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $47,710 | $42,360 | $56,030 | 28,100 | $50,704 |
| 22 | Virginia | $47,620 | $39,040 | $57,600 | 31,580 | $47,100 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $47,480 | $40,270 | $53,880 | 5,800 | $53,373 |
| 24 | Utah | $47,050 | $37,930 | $55,260 | 14,870 | $47,591 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $46,760 | $39,710 | $54,080 | 16,240 | $51,896 |
| 26 | Nevada | $46,570 | $39,440 | $54,500 | 16,790 | $46,580 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $46,450 | $38,200 | $55,720 | 25,430 | $50,373 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $46,270 | $37,980 | $53,090 | 65,310 | $47,421 |
| 29 | Ohio | $46,230 | $38,170 | $53,710 | 54,790 | $49,831 |
| 30 | Michigan | $46,020 | $38,350 | $53,090 | 40,830 | $47,829 |
| 31 | Florida | $45,900 | $37,840 | $53,340 | 104,000 | $44,385 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $45,810 | $37,040 | $54,000 | 34,580 | $49,864 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $45,790 | $38,100 | $51,870 | 43,690 | $48,544 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $45,450 | $38,760 | $50,310 | 2,250 | $49,034 |
| 35 | Iowa | $45,150 | $38,040 | $51,070 | 12,830 | $51,446 |
| 36 | Texas | $45,140 | $36,030 | $53,540 | 149,650 | $46,509 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $44,880 | $36,880 | $52,420 | 30,180 | $47,873 |
| 38 | Indiana | $44,270 | $36,860 | $50,050 | 20,100 | $47,434 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $44,200 | $36,970 | $51,370 | 18,420 | $49,025 |
| 40 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $44,040 | $36,680 | $49,110 | 530 | N/A |
| 41 | Montana | $43,940 | $37,210 | $48,450 | 4,520 | $46,426 |
| 42 | Idaho | $43,710 | $36,770 | $49,350 | 7,570 | $45,773 |
| 43 | Missouri | $43,540 | $36,750 | $49,930 | 33,180 | $47,943 |
| 44 | Kansas | $42,270 | $35,960 | $49,380 | 32,120 | $46,931 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $41,700 | $36,280 | $47,670 | 6,120 | $47,073 |
| 46 | Alabama | $41,630 | $35,580 | $49,120 | 45,050 | $46,868 |
| 47 | Georgia | $41,600 | $32,130 | $52,090 | 44,430 | $43,201 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $40,370 | $34,090 | $47,920 | 8,820 | $45,108 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $39,660 | $32,230 | $48,310 | 20,120 | $45,149 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $38,790 | $31,840 | $46,710 | 28,040 | $43,976 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $37,630 | $31,720 | $46,210 | 8,590 | $43,284 |
| 52 | Mississippi | $37,340 | $30,430 | $46,490 | 14,720 | $42,943 |
| 53 | Guam | $36,030 | $29,990 | $46,570 | 1,610 | N/A |
| 54 | Puerto Rico | $25,730 | $22,600 | $29,680 | 17,810 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $59,910, while Connecticut leads once prices are taken into account at $55,217.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive at $59,910 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Massachusetts ($57,940) and Washington ($57,330).
Which state pays Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive at $25,730 a year, $34,180 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Connecticut first at $55,217 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $57,210. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
← Back to the full Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive career profile for outlook, skills and how to become one