Administrative Assistant Salary: What You’ll Make and Why
Administrative assistants make around $37,979 to $67,667 on average in the US, depending on experience, location, skills, and other factors.
According to various salary aggregate websites, an administrative assistant’s salary in the US ranges between $37,979 and $67,667, with an average salary of $45,618. As of July 2022, the base salaries for administrative assistants are listed as follows:
| Payscale | ZipRecruiter | Indeed | Salary.com | Glassdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,665 | $37,979 | $38,540 | $43,239 | $67,667 |
Keep in mind: Salary aggregate websites typically rely on data submitted anonymously by individuals using their site. Some websites may have received larger amounts of data of either higher or lower than average salaries, which may affect the site’s calculated average.
Read more: What Is an Administrative Assistant? How to Become One
What influences a salary?
The salary of an Administrative Assistant is determined by a number of factors, including education, experience, and job location. In this article, we will take a closer look at how these factors impact salary.
Years of experience
Salary increases are generally tied to your experience level. In general, the more years you spend working as an administrative assistant, the more you can expect to earn. Here’s how experience can impact your administrative assistant salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Compensation Survey.
| Level of experience | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry-level (less than 1 year) | $32,119 |
| Early career (1 to 4 years) | $37,927 |
| Mid career (5 to 9 years) | $46,127 |
| Experienced (10 to 19 years) | $55,143 |
| Late career (20+ years) | $66,689 |
Location
Where you live can also impact how much you can make as an administrative assistant. Typically, working in a large metropolitan area correlates to a higher salary, as well as a higher cost of living.
Here is a list of some major cities with their corresponding average administrative assistant salary according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| City | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $59,229 |
| Boston, MA | $56,317 |
| Washington DC, DC | $55,945 |
| Seattle, WA | $54,827 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $52,299 |
| Miami, FL | $42,153 |
| Tampa Bay, FL | $41,905 |
| New Orleans, LA | $41,476 |
| Atlanta, GA | $41,476 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $38,869 |
How does this compare to similar jobs?
Here’s how an administrative assistant’s salary stacks up against similar jobs.
| Related Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Office Manager | $42,603 |
| Receptionist | $29,500 |
| Executive Assistant | $49,074 |
| Office Administrator | $36,034 |
| Operations Manager | $64,185 |
| Facilities Manager | $64,386 |
| Office Coordinator | $35,357 |
| Office Assistant | $32,716 |
| Commercial Real Estate Paralegal | $66,994 |
How to increase your administrative assistant salary
Now that you have a better idea of what you could expect to earn as an administrative assistant, let’s look at ways to boost your salary.
1. Strengthen your skills
Pursuing and improving in-demand skills could make you more competitive for promotions and higher-paying positions. These skills include:
- Calendar Management: Understand how to use a calendar system to manage appointments and deadlines
- Event Planning: Plan and coordinate events, including arranging for catering, speakers, and other logistics
- Vendor Management: Negotiate rates and contracts with vendors and service providers
- Customer Service: Serve as the primary point of contact for customers and handle customer inquiries
- Human Resources: Understand the basics of HR, including onboarding and terminations, benefits administration, and payroll
2. Know Your Value
Administrative assistants are often the unsung heroes of the office, but that doesn’t mean they should be taken for granted. If you feel like you’re being undervalued, do some research on what others in your field are making. You can also look into getting certified in your area of expertise, which can help show your boss that you’re serious about your career.
3. Seek regular feedback
One way to show your boss that you’re worth a raise is to regularly seek feedback on your performance. This shows that you’re interested in improving your work, and that you’re willing to put in the extra effort to make sure that you’re doing your best. Additionally, regular feedback can help you identify areas where you can improve, so that you can work on them and make yourself an even more valuable member of the team.
Article Sources
1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “National Compensation Survey, https://www.bls.gov/ncs/.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
2. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes436014.htm.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
3. Payscale. “Administrative Assistant Hourly Pay, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Administrative_Assistant/Hourly_Rate.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
4. Ziprecruiter. “Administrative Assistant Annual Salary, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Administrative-Assistant-Salary.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
5. Indeed. “Indeed Salary Finder, https://www.indeed.com/career/salaries.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
6. Salary.com. “Administrative Assistant Salary, https://www.salary.com/research/salary/listing/administrative-assistant-salary.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
7. Glassdoor. “Administrative Assistant Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/administrative-assistant-salary-SRCH_KO0,24.htm.” Accessed July 2, 2022.