Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in North Dakota make a median of $53,540 a year, or about $25.74 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $69K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.89), which stretches that salary to about $60,232 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,034/month, or 28.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across North Dakota. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $54K get you in North Dakota?
About legal secretaries and administrative assistants
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What this looks like in North Dakota
Legal secretaries and administrative assistants pay in North Dakota tracks closely to the national median, $54K locally vs. $56K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,034/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, North Dakota
Entry-level legal secretaries and administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $69K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants salary by metro in North Dakota
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck | $59K | +10% | 60 |
| Minot | $57K | +7% | 40 |
| Fargo | $57K | +6% | 110 |
| Grand Forks | $54K | +1% | 50 |
Compare to other states
Track legal secretaries and administrative assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when North Dakota numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a legal secretaries and administrative assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in North Dakota?
Yes — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 28.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,034/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for legal secretaries and administrative assistants in North Dakota?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new legal secretaries and administrative assistants typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,309/month. At HUD’s $1,034/month FMR, rent would take 45% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is legal secretaries and administrative assistant a high-paying job in North Dakota?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $54K locally vs. $56K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does North Dakota compare to the national average for legal secretaries and administrative assistants?
North Dakota pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $56K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do legal secretaries and administrative assistants make in North Dakota?
The median is $53,540 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,490, and experienced legal secretaries and administrative assistants can clear $68,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in North Dakota?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,668/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,034/month, which eats 28.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a legal secretaries and administrative assistants salary go in North Dakota?
North Dakota has a Regional Price Parity of 88.89 (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 legal secretaries and administrative assistants salary is worth about $60,232 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do legal secretaries and 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.