Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary
The median pay for a medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Battle Creek, MI is $40,130/year ($19.29/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.54), which stretches that salary to about $44,323 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,176/month, about 43% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Battle Creek?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Battle Creek’s Regional Price Parity (90.54). 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 Battle Creek
Pay for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Battle Creek runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,176/month, which is 43.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.54 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for medical secretaries and administrative assistantss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in metros near Battle Creek, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $42K | $42K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $41K | $43K |
| Ann Arbor | $47K | $46K |
| Flint | $41K | $45K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Battle Creek, MI
Entry-level medical secretaries and administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $14K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a medical secretaries and administrative assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Battle Creek?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 43.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,176/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Battle Creek?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical secretaries and administrative assistants typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,041/month. At HUD’s $1,176/month FMR, rent would take 58% 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 Battle Creek?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $40K here vs. $46K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Battle Creek compare to the national average for medical secretaries and administrative assistants?
Battle Creek pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do medical secretaries and administrative assistants make in Battle Creek, MI?
The median is $40,130 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,010, and experienced medical secretaries and administrative assistants can clear $48,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Battle Creek?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,715/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,176/month, which eats 43.3% 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 Battle Creek?
Battle Creek has a Regional Price Parity of 90.54 (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 $44,323 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.