Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in South Dakota make a median of $47,790 a year, or about $22.98 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.89), which stretches that salary to about $53,165 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,017/month, or 29.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across South Dakota. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $48K get you in South Dakota?
About legal secretaries and administrative assistants
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What this looks like in South Dakota
Pay for legal secretaries and administrative assistants in South Dakota runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $56K. Rent runs $1,017/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, South Dakota
Entry-level legal secretaries and administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants salary by metro in South Dakota
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | $48K | +1% | 120 |
| Rapid City | $48K | +1% | 110 |
Compare to other states
Track legal secretaries and administrative assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when South Dakota numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a legal secretaries and administrative assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in South Dakota?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 30.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,017/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for legal secretaries and administrative assistants in South 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 $2,252/month. At HUD’s $1,017/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 South Dakota?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $48K here vs. $56K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does South Dakota compare to the national average for legal secretaries and administrative assistants?
South Dakota pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $56K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do legal secretaries and administrative assistants make in South Dakota?
The median is $47,790 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,540, and experienced legal secretaries and administrative assistants can clear $58,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in South Dakota?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,370/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,017/month, which eats 30.2% 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 legal secretaries and administrative assistants salary go in South Dakota?
South Dakota has a Regional Price Parity of 89.89 (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 $53,165 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.