Best Cities for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistantss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where medical secretaries and administrative assistantss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.26	$69,350	$57,696	54%
2	WashingtonState	1.18	$58,100	$54,147	39%
3	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.15	$60,350	$52,800	44%
4	WisconsinState	1.14	$48,380	$52,416	27%
5	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.14	$51,870	$52,131	34%
6	MinnesotaState	1.11	$50,030	$51,051	31%
7	NebraskaState	1.10	$46,100	$50,383	27%
8	South DakotaState	1.10	$45,810	$50,452	25%
9	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.10	$54,560	$50,612	39%
10	MissouriState	1.08	$43,980	$49,639	28%
11	Columbus, OHMetro	1.08	$46,220	$49,433	34%
12	CaliforniaState	1.07	$54,490	$49,223	50%
13	North DakotaState	1.07	$45,390	$49,017	26%
14	OhioState	1.07	$44,280	$48,982	28%
15	IndianaState	1.06	$44,060	$48,685	29%
16	OregonState	1.06	$50,130	$48,670	38%
17	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.06	$45,160	$48,664	34%
18	New MexicoState	1.05	$44,230	$48,076	28%
19	IllinoisState	1.04	$46,670	$47,916	34%
20	KansasState	1.04	$43,020	$47,800	29%
21	WyomingState	1.04	$44,430	$47,774	27%
22	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.04	$46,370	$47,903	42%
23	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.04	$45,650	$47,651	39%
24	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.04	$44,260	$47,849	32%
25	MaineState	1.03	$46,990	$47,084	33%
26	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.03	$45,570	$47,370	41%
27	NevadaState	1.02	$46,990	$46,896	37%
28	North CarolinaState	1.02	$44,190	$46,811	35%
29	Rhode IslandState	1.02	$46,860	$46,627	39%
30	VermontState	1.02	$48,200	$47,024	35%
31	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.02	$45,630	$46,944	42%
32	GeorgiaState	1.01	$43,160	$46,210	39%
33	IdahoState	1.01	$44,920	$46,549	32%
34	MassachusettsState	1.01	$50,290	$46,350	54%
35	PennsylvaniaState	1.01	$44,930	$46,320	35%
36	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.01	$42,320	$46,404	35%
37	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.01	$42,560	$46,261	37%
38	AlaskaState	1.00	$47,870	$45,896	34%
39	IowaState	1.00	$40,980	$45,942	28%
40	ArizonaState	0.99	$45,820	$45,411	39%
41	HawaiiState	0.99	$49,920	$45,382	57%
42	MontanaState	0.99	$43,740	$45,373	31%
43	New HampshireState	0.99	$48,410	$45,670	39%
44	West VirginiaState	0.99	$38,430	$45,641	26%
45	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.99	$51,600	$45,463	59%
46	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.99	$47,120	$45,527	41%
47	ConnecticutState	0.98	$48,500	$45,074	39%
48	TexasState	0.98	$42,910	$44,885	39%
49	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.98	$47,680	$45,066	42%
50	ColoradoState	0.97	$46,920	$44,516	47%
51	MichiganState	0.97	$41,100	$44,529	33%
52	New JerseyState	0.97	$48,660	$44,724	44%
53	VirginiaState	0.97	$46,180	$44,618	41%
54	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.97	$43,770	$44,437	47%
55	DelawareState	0.96	$44,500	$44,059	37%
56	UtahState	0.96	$44,330	$44,242	40%
57	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.96	$51,410	$44,129	53%
58	KentuckyState	0.95	$38,750	$43,785	30%
59	MarylandState	0.95	$47,850	$43,819	42%
60	South CarolinaState	0.95	$40,170	$43,663	37%
61	TennesseeState	0.95	$39,940	$43,650	38%
62	District of ColumbiaState	0.94	$49,180	$43,027	51%
63	OklahomaState	0.94	$38,330	$43,311	30%
64	ArkansasState	0.93	$37,000	$42,874	28%
65	MississippiState	0.93	$36,290	$42,795	30%
66	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.93	$48,280	$42,801	50%
67	AlabamaState	0.92	$36,930	$42,400	31%
68	New YorkState	0.92	$47,710	$42,409	46%
69	FloridaState	0.90	$41,730	$41,113	49%
70	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.90	$45,060	$41,530	54%
71	LouisianaState	0.89	$36,930	$40,988	34%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).