Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Salary
In Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants earn $73,700 at the median, or about $35.44 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.34), that's roughly $76,500 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,730/month, about 33.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $74K actually covers in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin’s Regional Price Parity (96.34). 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants pay in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin tracks closely to the national median, $74K locally vs. $77K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,730/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.34) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in metros near Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis | $64K | $69K |
| Knoxville | $67K | $73K |
| Chattanooga | $65K | $71K |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $58K | $67K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
Entry-level executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $74K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $53K 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $74K, rent takes 34.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,730/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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,479/month. At HUD’s $1,730/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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $74K locally vs. $77K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin compare to the national average for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin pays $74K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $77K — below the national median.
How much do executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants make in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?
The median is $73,700 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,420, and experienced executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants can clear $101,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $74K enough to live in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,020/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,730/month, which eats 34.5% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin has a Regional Price Parity of 96.34 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants salary is worth about $76,500 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.