General administrative assistants (BLS SOC 43-6014) earned a median $47,540 a year, or $22.86 an hour, in May 2025. Here is pay by type, range, industry and outlook, with each figure labeled by SOC code.
- General administrative assistants (SOC 43-6014) earned a median of $47,540 a year ($22.86 an hour) in May 2025, with an average (mean) of $49,350.
- Across all secretaries and administrative assistants combined, the median was $48,310, because the group includes higher-paid executive and legal roles.
- Executive administrative assistants earn the most (median $76,590); medical administrative assistants earn the least of the four types (median $45,930).
- The older $47,460 figure that this page used to cite is outdated; use the May 2025 numbers.
- Location, industry, and specialty move pay more than job title alone, so benchmark against your own market.
In this article
The median administrative assistant salary in the U.S. is $47,540 a year, or $22.86 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 wage survey for general secretaries and administrative assistants (SOC 43-6014). Pay rises for specialized roles: legal administrative assistants earn a median of $55,570 and executive administrative assistants $76,590.
Administrative assistant salary at a glance
These figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for May 2025, published in 2026. They are the most current official U.S. figures as of October 2026.
| SOC 43-6014: secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive | May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $47,540 |
| Median hourly wage | $22.86 |
| Mean (average) annual wage | $49,350 |
| Mean hourly wage | $23.73 |
| Employment | 1,706,790 |
Sources: BLS OEWS national table, May 2025 and the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
The median is the middle value: half of workers earn more and half earn less. The mean is pulled up by a smaller number of higher earners, which is why it sits about $1,800 higher. For setting or judging a typical salary, the median is the better guide.
Why the number changed: Earlier versions of this page cited a $47,460 median. That figure is outdated. The current BLS figure for SOC 43-6014 is $47,540 (May 2025).
Salary by type of administrative assistant
BLS splits secretaries and administrative assistants into four detailed occupations. Most people with the title “administrative assistant” or “office assistant” fall under 43-6014. Executive, legal and medical roles are counted separately and pay differently.
| Occupation (SOC code) | Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (43-6011) | $76,590 | $36.82 | $79,140 | 459,910 |
| Legal secretaries and administrative assistants (43-6012) | $55,570 | $26.72 | $60,620 | 156,280 |
| Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive (43-6014) | $47,540 | $22.86 | $49,350 | 1,706,790 |
| Medical secretaries and administrative assistants (43-6013) | $45,930 | $22.08 | $46,800 | 961,610 |
| All secretaries and administrative assistants (group) | $48,310 | $23.23 | $53,310 | 3,284,600 |
Median annual figures are from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; hourly, mean and employment figures are from the May 2025 OEWS national table.
When you see “$48,310” quoted elsewhere, including in our administrative assistant hiring guide, it refers to the whole group. When you see “$47,540,” it refers to general administrative assistants (43-6014) only. Both are correct; they measure different groups.
Administrative assistant salary range: what low and high earners make
For the whole secretaries and administrative assistants group, the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,360 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $77,720 in May 2025 (BLS OOH). The top of that range is mostly executive assistants, so general administrative assistants usually sit lower.
In practice, where someone falls in the range depends on:
- Scope. Supporting one manager with scheduling pays less than running an office, handling bookkeeping, or supporting a C-suite executive.
- Specialty. Legal and executive support pay more, as the table shows. Medical administrative assistants earn slightly less than general ones.
- Skills. Advanced Excel, bookkeeping, project coordination, and industry software (an ERP, a legal or medical records system) tend to move people up the range.
- Location. Pay varies widely by state and metro area. BLS publishes state and metro data for each occupation on its OEWS page for 43-6014.
Hourly, weekly and monthly administrative assistant pay
To convert BLS figures, multiply the hourly rate by 2,080, a standard full-time year of 40 hours × 52 weeks. Using the 43-6014 median of $22.86 an hour:
| Period | Calculation | Median pay (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly | BLS median | $22.86 |
| Weekly | $22.86 × 40 | $914 |
| Monthly | $47,540 ÷ 12 | $3,962 |
| Annual | $22.86 × 2,080 | about $47,550 (BLS reports $47,540 from unrounded data) |
These are gross figures before taxes. To see what lands in a paycheck, use our guide on calculating take-home pay.
Pay by industry
BLS reports median wages in the industries that employ the most secretaries and administrative assistants (all four types combined) for May 2025:
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Government (excluding state and local education and hospitals) | $54,250 |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | $54,080 |
| Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations | $49,390 |
| Educational services (state, local, and private) | $48,980 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | $46,290 |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Job outlook for administrative assistants
BLS projects employment of secretaries and administrative assistants to decline 2% from 2025 to 2035. Even so, it projects about 314,400 openings a year on average, all from replacing workers who move to other jobs or retire (BLS OOH).
For job seekers, that means steady openings but more emphasis on skills beyond basic office support: coordinating projects, managing data, and handling specialized systems. For employers, it means experienced assistants with those skills are still in demand.
How to use these numbers
If you’re a job seeker
- Match your role to the right SOC code. If you support an executive or work in a law firm, the 43-6011 or 43-6012 figures fit better than 43-6014.
- Check your state and metro area on the BLS OEWS page, and compare with current postings in your area.
- Ask for a figure that reflects your scope and skills, and practice the conversation with our job offer negotiation scripts.
If you’re hiring
- Write down what the role actually includes before you set pay. An “admin assistant” who also does bookkeeping and office management is a different job.
- Benchmark against the right occupation and your local market, not the national median alone. Our guide to salary benchmarking methods walks through it.
- Post a real range, and check whether your state requires one under pay transparency laws.
How Careerscape can help
Careerscape is a U.S. staffing and recruiting firm. Our free Salary Guide covers 450+ roles, and job seekers can browse current administrative openings on our job board. Employers who need administrative support quickly can use our temporary staffing service.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an administrative assistant make an hour?
General administrative assistants (BLS SOC 43-6014) earned a median of $22.86 an hour in May 2025, and an average of $23.73. Executive administrative assistants earned a median of $36.82 an hour, legal administrative assistants $26.72 and medical administrative assistants $22.08. Local rates can be well above or below these national figures.
What is the difference between $47,540 and $48,310?
Both are May 2025 BLS medians for different groups. $47,540 is the median for general secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive (SOC 43-6014). $48,310 is the median for all secretaries and administrative assistants combined, which includes the higher-paid executive and legal roles along with medical assistants.
What is the highest-paying type of administrative assistant job?
Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants have the highest median pay of the four BLS categories, at $76,590 a year in May 2025. Legal administrative assistants come next at $55,570. Executive roles usually involve supporting senior leaders, managing complex calendars and travel, preparing reports, and handling confidential information.
Do administrative assistants need a degree?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for secretaries and administrative assistants. Employers often look for office experience and software skills, such as spreadsheets and scheduling tools, and executive roles usually expect prior administrative experience.
How often is this salary data updated?
BLS publishes OEWS wage data once a year, usually in the spring, for the previous May. The figures on this page are for May 2025, released in 2026. Check the BLS OEWS page for the newest release before making pay decisions.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025, Table 1 (national data by occupation)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS, 43-6014 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive