Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Salary
In Massachusetts, executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants earn $82,650 at the median, or about $39.73 an hour. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $124K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.09), that's roughly $82,576 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,347/month, about 44.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Massachusetts. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $83K get you in Massachusetts?
About executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Massachusetts
Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants pay in Massachusetts tracks closely to the national median, $83K locally vs. $77K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,347/month, which is 45.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.09) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Massachusetts
Entry-level executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $83K. Top earners bring in $124K or more, a $65K spread from bottom to top.
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants salary by metro in Massachusetts
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $85K | +3% | 11,290 |
| Barnstable Town | $80K | -3% | 310 |
| Worcester | $75K | -9% | 1,310 |
| Pittsfield | $73K | -12% | 150 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton | $72K | -13% | 240 |
| Springfield | $71K | -14% | 590 |
Compare to other states
Track executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Massachusetts numbers change.
Related careers in Office & Admin
Frequently asked questions
Can a executive secretaries and executive administrative assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Massachusetts?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $83K, rent takes 45.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,347/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/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 Massachusetts?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,559/month. At HUD’s $2,347/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Massachusetts?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $83K locally vs. $77K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Massachusetts compare to the national average for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants?
Massachusetts pays $83K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $83K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants make in Massachusetts?
The median is $82,650 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,320, and experienced executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants can clear $123,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $83K enough to live in Massachusetts?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,200/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,347/month, which eats 45.1% 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 Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has a Regional Price Parity of 100.09 (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 $82,576 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.