Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Salary
The median pay for a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ is $47,080/year ($22.64/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.97), that's roughly $47,094 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,634/month, about 50% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $47K get you in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton’s Regional Price Parity (99.97). 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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives
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What this looks like in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton
Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive pay in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton tracks closely to the national median, $47K locally vs. $48K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,634/month, which is 51% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.97) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives in metros near Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $49K | $48K |
| Pittsburgh | $46K | $48K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $47K | $48K |
| Lancaster | $46K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
Entry-level secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $27K spread from bottom to top.
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $60K | +26% | 11,800 |
| Massachusetts | $58K | +22% | 37,750 |
| Washington | $57K | +21% | 31,710 |
| Connecticut | $57K | +20% | 22,650 |
| California | $55K | +17% | 158,630 |
| Rhode Island | $52K | +10% | 5,200 |
| Oregon | $52K | +9% | 23,150 |
| Minnesota | $51K | +8% | 31,330 |
| Hawaii | $51K | +7% | 7,020 |
| New Jersey | $50K | +6% | 65,960 |
| Maine | $50K | +5% | 6,740 |
| New York | $50K | +4% | 122,490 |
| Vermont | $49K | +3% | 3,360 |
| Colorado | $49K | +2% | 29,120 |
| Maryland | $49K | +2% | 54,890 |
| Alaska | $49K | +2% | 5,390 |
| Illinois | $48K | +2% | 74,280 |
| New Hampshire | $48K | +1% | 9,050 |
| Delaware | $48K | +1% | 6,320 |
| Arizona | $48K | +1% | 31,220 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | +0% | 28,100 |
| Virginia | $48K | +0% | 31,580 |
| North Dakota | $47K | -0% | 5,800 |
| Utah | $47K | -1% | 14,870 |
| Nebraska | $47K | -2% | 16,240 |
| Nevada | $47K | -2% | 16,790 |
| New Mexico | $46K | -2% | 25,430 |
| Pennsylvania | $46K | -3% | 65,310 |
| Ohio | $46K | -3% | 54,790 |
| Michigan | $46K | -3% | 40,830 |
| Florida | $46K | -3% | 104,000 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -4% | 34,580 |
| North Carolina | $46K | -4% | 43,690 |
| Wyoming | $45K | -4% | 2,250 |
| Iowa | $45K | -5% | 12,830 |
| Texas | $45K | -5% | 149,650 |
| South Carolina | $45K | -6% | 30,180 |
| Indiana | $44K | -7% | 20,100 |
| Kentucky | $44K | -7% | 18,420 |
| Montana | $44K | -8% | 4,520 |
| Idaho | $44K | -8% | 7,570 |
| Missouri | $44K | -8% | 33,180 |
| Kansas | $42K | -11% | 32,120 |
| South Dakota | $42K | -12% | 6,120 |
| Alabama | $42K | -12% | 45,050 |
| Georgia | $42K | -12% | 44,430 |
| West Virginia | $40K | -15% | 8,820 |
| Oklahoma | $40K | -17% | 20,120 |
| Louisiana | $39K | -18% | 28,040 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -21% | 8,590 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -21% | 14,720 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive afford a 2BR apartment alone in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 51% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,634/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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,105/month. At HUD’s $1,634/month FMR, rent would take 78% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive a high-paying job in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $47K locally vs. $48K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton compare to the national average for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives?
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives make in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?
The median is $47,080 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,090, and experienced secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives can clear $62,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,202/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,634/month, which eats 51% 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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary go in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton has a Regional Price Parity of 99.97 (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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary is worth about $47,094 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives 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.