Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary
The median pay for a medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA is $54,560/year ($26.23/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $51,755 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,922/month, about 54% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro sits well above the national pay line for medical secretaries and administrative assistants, local pay runs about 19% higher than the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,922/month, which is 55.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Eugene-Springfield | $48K | $48K |
| Salem | $49K | $47K |
| Bend | $51K | $49K |
| Medford | $47K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level medical secretaries and administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $27K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a medical secretaries and administrative assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 55.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical secretaries and administrative assistants typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,762/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 70% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $55K here vs. $46K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for medical secretaries and administrative assistants?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do medical secretaries and administrative assistants make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $54,560 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,030, and experienced medical secretaries and administrative assistants can clear $73,290. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,469/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 55.4% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median medical secretaries and administrative assistants salary is worth about $51,755 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.