Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary
The median pay for a medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Odessa, TX is $40,220/year ($19.34/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $55K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.9), which stretches that salary to about $42,833 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,595/month, about 55.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Odessa?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Odessa’s Regional Price Parity (93.9). 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 Odessa
Pay for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Odessa runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,595/month, which is 55.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.9 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% 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 Odessa, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $46K | $44K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $44K | $45K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $43K | $45K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $47K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Odessa, TX
Entry-level medical secretaries and administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $55K or more, a $21K 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 Odessa?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 55.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,595/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 Odessa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical secretaries and administrative assistants typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,076/month. At HUD’s $1,595/month FMR, rent would take 77% 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 Odessa?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $40K here vs. $46K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Odessa compare to the national average for medical secretaries and administrative assistants?
Odessa pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do medical secretaries and administrative assistants make in Odessa, TX?
The median is $40,220 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,600, and experienced medical secretaries and administrative assistants can clear $55,120. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Odessa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,863/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,595/month, which eats 55.7% 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 Odessa?
Odessa has a Regional Price Parity of 93.9 (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 $42,833 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.