Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary
The median pay for a medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ is $46,180/year ($22.2/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.97), that's roughly $46,194 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,634/month, about 50.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton’s Regional Price Parity (99.97). 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 medical secretaries and administrative assistants
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What this looks like in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton
Medical secretaries and administrative assistants pay in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $46K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,634/month, which is 52% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.97) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in metros near Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $47K | $46K |
| Pittsburgh | $44K | $47K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $45K | $46K |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $44K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
Entry-level medical secretaries and administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $58K | +26% | 10,960 |
| California | $54K | +19% | 115,050 |
| Massachusetts | $50K | +9% | 22,210 |
| Oregon | $50K | +9% | 16,840 |
| Minnesota | $50K | +9% | 16,860 |
| Hawaii | $50K | +9% | 2,160 |
| District of Columbia | $49K | +7% | 1,930 |
| New Jersey | $49K | +6% | 20,980 |
| Connecticut | $49K | +6% | 6,480 |
| New Hampshire | $48K | +5% | 3,680 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | +5% | 7,760 |
| Vermont | $48K | +5% | 2,390 |
| Alaska | $48K | +4% | 2,520 |
| Maryland | $48K | +4% | 17,290 |
| New York | $48K | +4% | 57,720 |
| Nevada | $47K | +2% | 7,030 |
| Maine | $47K | +2% | 4,610 |
| Colorado | $47K | +2% | 11,560 |
| Rhode Island | $47K | +2% | 2,350 |
| Illinois | $47K | +2% | 27,560 |
| Virginia | $46K | +1% | 27,600 |
| Nebraska | $46K | +0% | 4,110 |
| Arizona | $46K | -0% | 18,090 |
| South Dakota | $46K | -0% | 80 |
| North Dakota | $45K | -1% | 1,120 |
| Pennsylvania | $45K | -2% | 27,600 |
| Idaho | $45K | -2% | 5,120 |
| Delaware | $45K | -3% | 4,510 |
| Wyoming | $44K | -3% | 1,110 |
| Utah | $44K | -3% | 5,260 |
| Ohio | $44K | -4% | 29,110 |
| New Mexico | $44K | -4% | 4,590 |
| North Carolina | $44K | -4% | 56,840 |
| Indiana | $44K | -4% | 21,180 |
| Missouri | $44K | -4% | 12,260 |
| Montana | $44K | -5% | 4,410 |
| Georgia | $43K | -6% | 39,380 |
| Kansas | $43K | -6% | 6,470 |
| Texas | $43K | -7% | 78,740 |
| Florida | $42K | -9% | 96,000 |
| Michigan | $41K | -11% | 27,960 |
| Iowa | $41K | -11% | 10,560 |
| South Carolina | $40K | -13% | 15,630 |
| Tennessee | $40K | -13% | 41,810 |
| Kentucky | $39K | -16% | 26,430 |
| West Virginia | $38K | -16% | 1,550 |
| Oklahoma | $38K | -17% | 8,430 |
| Arkansas | $37K | -19% | 2,190 |
| Alabama | $37K | -20% | 16,580 |
| Louisiana | $37K | -20% | 2,970 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -21% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track medical secretaries and administrative assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a medical secretaries and administrative assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 52% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,634/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical secretaries and administrative assistants typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,205/month. At HUD’s $1,634/month FMR, rent would take 74% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is medical secretaries and administrative assistant a high-paying job in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $46K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton compare to the national average for medical secretaries and administrative assistants?
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do medical secretaries and administrative assistants make in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?
The median is $46,180 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,750, and experienced medical secretaries and administrative assistants can clear $56,610. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,144/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,634/month, which eats 52% 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 medical secretaries and administrative assistants salary go in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton has a Regional Price Parity of 99.97 (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 medical secretaries and administrative assistants salary is worth about $46,194 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do medical 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.