Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Salary
In Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants earn $78,380 at the median, or about $37.69 an hour. The range runs from $56K at the entry level to $107K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.49), that's roughly $75,012 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,857/month, about 36.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $78K actually covers in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Baltimore-Columbia-Towson’s Regional Price Parity (104.49). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
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What this looks like in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants pay in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson tracks closely to the national median, $78K locally vs. $77K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,857/month, which is 37.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 104.49) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in metros near Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Salisbury | $66K | $69K |
| Lexington Park | $81K | $80K |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg | $69K | $74K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $90K | $83K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Entry-level executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $56K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $107K or more, a $52K spread from bottom to top.
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $91K | +19% | 4,560 |
| New Jersey | $90K | +17% | 11,690 |
| California | $89K | +16% | 59,640 |
| Massachusetts | $83K | +8% | 14,820 |
| Connecticut | $83K | +8% | 6,490 |
| Hawaii | $81K | +5% | 1,440 |
| New York | $81K | +5% | 88,890 |
| Virginia | $80K | +5% | 10,360 |
| Washington | $79K | +3% | 11,560 |
| Delaware | $79K | +3% | 1,320 |
| Maryland | $79K | +3% | 13,960 |
| Minnesota | $78K | +2% | 7,970 |
| Rhode Island | $78K | +2% | 950 |
| Oregon | $75K | -1% | 6,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $75K | -2% | 12,910 |
| Illinois | $74K | -3% | 14,900 |
| New Mexico | $74K | -4% | 2,800 |
| Texas | $72K | -6% | 34,520 |
| New Hampshire | $72K | -6% | 1,210 |
| Vermont | $71K | -8% | 770 |
| Arizona | $71K | -8% | 6,490 |
| North Carolina | $70K | -8% | 8,890 |
| Ohio | $70K | -9% | 10,940 |
| Alabama | $69K | -9% | 2,880 |
| Wisconsin | $69K | -10% | 4,480 |
| Georgia | $68K | -11% | 14,560 |
| Tennessee | $68K | -11% | 5,360 |
| Nevada | $68K | -11% | 2,670 |
| Michigan | $67K | -13% | 9,030 |
| Nebraska | $66K | -14% | 1,860 |
| Alaska | $66K | -14% | 1,320 |
| Colorado | $66K | -14% | 10,340 |
| Kansas | $65K | -15% | 2,750 |
| Florida | $65K | -16% | 19,220 |
| Maine | $64K | -16% | 2,320 |
| West Virginia | $64K | -17% | 860 |
| Kentucky | $62K | -19% | 2,700 |
| Iowa | $62K | -19% | 4,150 |
| North Dakota | $61K | -20% | 540 |
| Utah | $61K | -20% | 5,440 |
| South Carolina | $61K | -20% | 3,880 |
| Missouri | $60K | -21% | 8,500 |
| Idaho | $60K | -21% | 1,180 |
| Oklahoma | $60K | -22% | 2,810 |
| Montana | $60K | -22% | 550 |
| Indiana | $59K | -23% | 5,060 |
| Mississippi | $56K | -27% | 1,240 |
| South Dakota | $55K | -28% | 1,230 |
| Louisiana | $53K | -30% | 9,270 |
| Wyoming | $52K | -32% | 560 |
| Arkansas | $52K | -33% | 2,070 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a executive secretaries and executive administrative assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 37.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,857/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants typically earn — is $56K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,704/month. At HUD’s $1,857/month FMR, rent would take 50% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is executive secretaries and executive administrative assistant a high-paying job in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $78K locally vs. $77K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Baltimore-Columbia-Towson compare to the national average for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $75K — below the national median.
How much do executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants make in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
The median is $78,380 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $55,860, and experienced executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants can clear $107,440. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,998/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,857/month, which eats 37.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants salary go in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson has a Regional Price Parity of 104.49 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants salary is worth about $75,012 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.