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 Louisiana is $38,790/year ($18.65/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $56K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $44,443 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,191/month, about 45% 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 $39K get you in Louisiana?
About secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives
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What this looks like in Louisiana
Pay for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive in Louisiana runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,191/month, which is 44.6% 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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $56K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive salary by metro in Louisiana
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie | $43K | +10% | 6,180 |
| Baton Rouge | $41K | +5% | 5,950 |
| Lake Charles | $40K | +4% | 1,390 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $39K | -1% | 2,200 |
| Lafayette | $38K | -2% | 2,210 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $38K | -3% | 1,330 |
| Monroe | $37K | -4% | 1,150 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $37K | -5% | 1,180 |
| Alexandria | $36K | -7% | 950 |
| Hammond | $36K | -8% | 790 |
Compare to other states
Track secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 44.6% 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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives in Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,601/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 74% 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 Louisiana?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $39K here vs. $48K 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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives?
Louisiana pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives make in Louisiana?
The median is $38,790 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,680, and experienced secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives can clear $56,340. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,671/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 44.6% 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 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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary is worth about $44,443 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.