Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary
The median pay for a medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Hattiesburg, MS is $34,690/year ($16.68/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.63), which stretches that salary to about $39,587 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,047/month, about 44.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $35K get you in Hattiesburg?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hattiesburg’s Regional Price Parity (87.63). 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 Hattiesburg
Pay for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Hattiesburg runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,047/month, which is 44.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.63 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% 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 Hattiesburg, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson | $37K | $41K |
| Gulfport-Biloxi | $37K | $42K |
| Birmingham | $39K | $43K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $46K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hattiesburg, MS
Entry-level medical secretaries and administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $16K 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)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a medical secretaries and administrative assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hattiesburg?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 44.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,047/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 Hattiesburg?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical secretaries and administrative assistants typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,804/month. At HUD’s $1,047/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 Hattiesburg?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $35K here vs. $46K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Hattiesburg compare to the national average for medical secretaries and administrative assistants?
Hattiesburg pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do medical secretaries and administrative assistants make in Hattiesburg, MS?
The median is $34,690 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,060, and experienced medical secretaries and administrative assistants can clear $45,840. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Hattiesburg?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,357/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,047/month, which eats 44.4% 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 Hattiesburg?
Hattiesburg has a Regional Price Parity of 87.63 (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 $39,587 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.