Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Salary
In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants earn $90,320 at the median, or about $43.42 an hour. The range runs from $61K at the entry level to $121K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.88), so that salary is closer to $82,954 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,246/month, about 39.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $90K get you in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Washington-Arlington-Alexandria’s Regional Price Parity (108.88). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria sits well above the national pay line for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants, local pay runs about 18% higher than the U.S. median of $77K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,246/month, which is 40.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.88), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in metros near Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $78K | $75K |
| Richmond | $78K | $79K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $68K | $69K |
| Charlottesville | $74K | $75K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Entry-level executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $61K. Mid-career wages sit at $90K. Top earners bring in $121K or more, a $60K 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)
Track executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Washington-Arlington-Alexandria numbers change.
Related careers in Office & Admin
Frequently asked questions
Can a executive secretaries and executive administrative assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $90K, rent takes 40.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,246/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,658/month. At HUD’s $2,246/month FMR, rent would take 61% 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
Local pay is 18% above the national median — $90K here vs. $77K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 9% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compare to the national average for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria pays $90K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s +18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.88), the purchasing-power equivalent is $83K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants make in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The median is $90,320 a year, that works out to about $43 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,960, and experienced executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants can clear $121,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $90K enough to live in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,591/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,246/month, which eats 40.2% 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria has a Regional Price Parity of 108.88 (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 $82,954 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.