Best Cities for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executives

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives 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	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.14	$54,080	$54,352	33%
2	ConnecticutState	1.12	$57,210	$53,169	33%
3	MassachusettsState	1.12	$57,940	$53,401	47%
4	WashingtonState	1.12	$57,330	$53,430	40%
5	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.11	$60,230	$52,695	44%
6	District of ColumbiaState	1.10	$59,910	$52,415	42%
7	MinnesotaState	1.10	$51,400	$52,449	30%
8	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.10	$59,330	$52,273	52%
9	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.10	$62,940	$52,363	60%
10	Rhode IslandState	1.09	$52,140	$51,881	35%
11	WisconsinState	1.09	$47,710	$51,690	27%
12	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.09	$47,330	$51,897	31%
13	North DakotaState	1.08	$47,480	$51,274	25%
14	OhioState	1.08	$46,230	$51,139	27%
15	Columbus, OHMetro	1.08	$47,870	$51,198	32%
16	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.08	$55,360	$51,354	39%
17	NebraskaState	1.07	$46,760	$51,104	27%
18	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.07	$49,000	$50,936	38%
19	IowaState	1.06	$45,150	$50,617	25%
20	New MexicoState	1.06	$46,450	$50,489	27%
21	OregonState	1.06	$51,740	$50,233	37%
22	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.06	$46,810	$50,442	33%
23	CaliforniaState	1.05	$55,400	$50,045	49%
24	KentuckyState	1.05	$44,200	$49,944	26%
25	MaineState	1.05	$49,820	$49,920	31%
26	MichiganState	1.05	$46,020	$49,859	29%
27	TennesseeState	1.05	$45,810	$50,066	33%
28	IllinoisState	1.04	$48,310	$49,600	33%
29	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.04	$45,550	$49,243	31%
30	IndianaState	1.03	$44,270	$48,917	29%
31	MissouriState	1.03	$43,540	$49,142	29%
32	South CarolinaState	1.03	$44,880	$48,783	34%
33	WyomingState	1.03	$45,450	$48,871	26%
34	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.03	$46,800	$48,852	38%
35	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.03	$47,450	$48,817	40%
36	North CarolinaState	1.02	$45,790	$48,506	34%
37	AlabamaState	1.01	$41,630	$47,796	28%
38	West VirginiaState	1.01	$40,370	$47,945	25%
39	ArizonaState	1.00	$47,940	$47,512	37%
40	DelawareState	1.00	$47,970	$47,495	34%
41	PennsylvaniaState	1.00	$46,270	$47,701	34%
42	VermontState	1.00	$48,920	$47,727	35%
43	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.00	$53,660	$47,571	45%
44	KansasState	0.99	$42,270	$46,967	29%
45	TexasState	0.99	$45,140	$47,218	37%
46	UtahState	0.99	$47,050	$46,956	38%
47	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.99	$48,850	$47,198	39%
48	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.99	$43,440	$47,217	36%
49	AlaskaState	0.98	$48,530	$46,529	34%
50	NevadaState	0.98	$46,570	$46,477	37%
51	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.98	$45,270	$46,767	43%
52	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.98	$49,220	$46,522	41%
53	ColoradoState	0.97	$48,690	$46,195	45%
54	HawaiiState	0.97	$50,830	$46,209	56%
55	New JerseyState	0.97	$50,260	$46,195	43%
56	South DakotaState	0.97	$41,700	$45,925	28%
57	VirginiaState	0.97	$47,620	$46,010	40%
58	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.97	$53,550	$45,966	51%
59	MontanaState	0.96	$43,940	$45,581	31%
60	FloridaState	0.95	$45,900	$45,222	45%
61	IdahoState	0.95	$43,710	$45,295	33%
62	New HampshireState	0.95	$48,080	$45,358	40%
63	GeorgiaState	0.94	$41,600	$44,540	41%
64	MarylandState	0.94	$48,680	$44,579	41%
65	OklahomaState	0.94	$39,660	$44,814	29%
66	MississippiState	0.93	$37,340	$44,033	29%
67	New YorkState	0.93	$49,600	$44,089	45%
68	ArkansasState	0.92	$37,630	$43,604	28%
69	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.92	$47,450	$43,733	52%
70	LouisianaState	0.91	$38,790	$43,052	32%

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