Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary
The median pay for a medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Louisiana is $36,930/year ($17.75/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $42,312 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,191/month, about 47.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Louisiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $37K get you in Louisiana?
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 Louisiana
Pay for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Louisiana runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,191/month, which is 46.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.28 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level medical secretaries and administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants salary by metro in Louisiana
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammond | $38K | +4% | 100 |
| Baton Rouge | $38K | +4% | 390 |
| Lafayette | $38K | +2% | 640 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $38K | +2% | 200 |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $37K | -1% | 530 |
| Lake Charles | $36K | -1% | 170 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $36K | -2% | 180 |
| Monroe | $36K | -3% | 110 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $35K | -5% | 200 |
| Alexandria | $34K | -7% | 150 |
Compare to other states
Track medical secretaries and administrative assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
Related careers in Office & Admin
Frequently asked questions
Can a medical secretaries and administrative assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 46.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,191/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 Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical secretaries and administrative assistants typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,805/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Louisiana?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $37K here vs. $46K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for medical secretaries and administrative assistants?
Louisiana pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do medical secretaries and administrative assistants make in Louisiana?
The median is $36,930 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,090, and experienced medical secretaries and administrative assistants can clear $49,050. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,552/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 46.7% 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 Louisiana?
Louisiana has a Regional Price Parity of 87.28 (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 $42,312 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.