Administrative assistants make up a huge portion of business careers. As a result of that, it is hard to pinpoint the exact salary that you could make as an administrative assistant. Administrative assistant salary levels vary by location, experience, specialization, and employer. Most administrative assistants make decent money, but the amount of money they make will vary tremendously. The list below shows some of the common salary ranges for administrative assistants so you can estimate your future pay levels.
Note that the salary levels listed below are courtesy of PayScale.com.
Administrative Assistant Salaries by Location
New England and coastal America tend to have the highest paying administrative assistant jobs. That is largely because the cost of living in those areas is higher than it is in other parts of the country. The following list features the top ten cities for administrative assistant salaries, along with the range of hourly wages workers make in those areas. This may give you an idea of what you will make if you work in one of these cities: (1) San Francisco, California: $12.68 – $24.72; (2) Hartford, Connecticut: $12.82 – $29.36; (3) Oakland, California: $11.97 – $24.37; (4) Pasadena, California: $12.06 – $21.06; (5) San Jose, California: $10.82 – $23.56; (6) Anchorage, Alaska: $10.82 – $23.56; (7) Irvine, California: $11.73 – $24.25; (8) New York, New York: $9.91 – $21.96; (9) Boston, Massachusetts: $10.41 – $22.35; (10) Seattle, Washington: $11.22 – $21.58.
As you can see, most of these cities are along the east or west coast of the United States. Midwestern cities can pay well also, but they may not pay as high as some of the coastal areas. Administrative assistants in Plano, Texas earn between $9.83 and $20.05 an hour, and professionals in St. Paul, Minnesota earn between $11.54 and $21.99 an hour. As you can see, pay levels do not fluctuate much at all throughout the country.
Administrative Assistant Salaries by Degree Level
While you do not have to have a college degree to work as an administrative assistant, employers do prefer applicants with college degrees over those without them. This is especially true in specialized industries where workers need to know business jargon to get through their day to day work. The amount of money you can make as an administrative assistant may depend on the college degree you earn. Common hourly rates for each degree are as follows: Bachelor’s Degree: $9.93 – $19.03; Associate’s Degree: $9.78 – $18.42; High School Diploma $9.64 – $20.37; Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology $10.02 – $18.15; GED or High School Diploma $9.39 – $20.33.
As you can see, the pay rangers are pretty much the same across the board. The amount of money you make may not be higher based on the degree you have, but your hire-ability will be impacted by your degree. You will be much more likely to get a job with a degree in hand, so do what you need to do to get your education. The time you spend in school will definitely pay off in the end.
Administrative Assistant Salaries by Employer
Sometimes the amount of money you earn is purely based on the employer you work for. Law offices and large corporations tend to pay better than other companies, but they also expect more out of their administrative assistants. Employment is competitive in those jobs as most people want to earn the highest administrative assistant salary they can possibly earn. Some of the top paying employers in the country include: DaVita Inc.: $11.48 – $17.56; Marriott International, Inc.: $10.21 – $26.50; Kohl’s Department Stores Inc.: $10.14 – $13.81; Kelly Services, Inc.: $11.07 – $18.87; Kaiser Permanente: $8.05 – $24.83. Your potential earnings with these companies are fairly expansive, but you have to beat out the competition in order to see that money come into play.
Administrative Assistant Salaries by Gender
Women make up 94% of this industry, mainly because men do not want to be seen as “secretaries.” On average, men and women make close to the same amount of money per year. Women earn an average of $11.66 to $16.32 an hour, and men earn an average of $10.70 to $15.40 an hour. Regardless of your gender, you should be able to find decent administrative assistant salary waiting for you.
Conclusion
You are the only one who can determine what you will make in the future. Some administrative assistants make more just because they request more hours at work. If you show your employers that you are driven to succeed, they will ultimately award you for your efforts. Get the education you need to succeed, and then push forward until you see success.
