Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary
The median pay for a medical secretaries and administrative assistants in New Mexico is $44,230/year ($21.27/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.06), which stretches that salary to about $47,528 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,119/month, about 37.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New Mexico. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $44K get you in New Mexico?
About medical secretaries and administrative assistants
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What this looks like in New Mexico
Medical secretaries and administrative assistants pay in New Mexico tracks closely to the national median, $44K locally vs. $46K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,119/month, which is 36.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.06 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New Mexico
Entry-level medical secretaries and administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants salary by metro in New Mexico
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $47K | +7% | 2,480 |
| Santa Fe | $47K | +6% | 320 |
| Farmington | $39K | -12% | 180 |
| Las Cruces | $39K | -13% | 540 |
Compare to other states
Track medical secretaries and administrative assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when New Mexico numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a medical secretaries and administrative assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Mexico?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 36.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,119/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 New Mexico?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical secretaries and administrative assistants typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,173/month. At HUD’s $1,119/month FMR, rent would take 51% 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 New Mexico?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $44K locally vs. $46K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does New Mexico compare to the national average for medical secretaries and administrative assistants?
New Mexico pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do medical secretaries and administrative assistants make in New Mexico?
The median is $44,230 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,210, and experienced medical secretaries and administrative assistants can clear $57,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in New Mexico?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,034/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,119/month, which eats 36.9% 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 New Mexico?
New Mexico has a Regional Price Parity of 93.06 (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 $47,528 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.