Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary
The median pay for a medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Dothan, AL is $35,560/year ($17.09/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 83.83), which stretches that salary to about $42,419 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $950/month, about 39.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Dothan?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dothan’s Regional Price Parity (83.83). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Dothan
Pay for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Dothan runs about 23% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $950/month, which is 39.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 83.83 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 16% 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 Dothan, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $39K | $43K |
| Huntsville | $38K | $40K |
| Mobile | $36K | $41K |
| Montgomery | $37K | $41K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dothan, AL
Entry-level medical secretaries and administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $19K 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 Dothan numbers change.
Related careers in Office & Admin
Frequently asked questions
Can a medical secretaries and administrative assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dothan?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 39.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $950/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Dothan?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical secretaries and administrative assistants typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,738/month. At HUD’s $950/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Dothan?
Local pay runs 23% below the national median — $36K here vs. $46K nationally. Cost of living is 16% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Dothan compare to the national average for medical secretaries and administrative assistants?
Dothan pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 83.83), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do medical secretaries and administrative assistants make in Dothan, AL?
The median is $35,560 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,970, and experienced medical secretaries and administrative assistants can clear $47,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Dothan?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,416/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $950/month, which eats 39.3% 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 Dothan?
Dothan has a Regional Price Parity of 83.83 (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 $42,419 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.