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 Missoula, MT is $42,500/year ($20.43/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $54K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.44), that's roughly $44,069 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,361/month, about 46.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $43K get you in Missoula?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Missoula’s Regional Price Parity (96.44). 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.
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What this looks like in Missoula
Pay for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive in Missoula runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,361/month, which is 46.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.44) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives in metros near Missoula, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Billings | $44K | $47K |
| Bozeman | $47K | $46K |
| Helena | $48K | $50K |
| Great Falls | $43K | $45K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Missoula, MT
Entry-level secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $54K or more, a $24K 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)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive afford a 2BR apartment alone in Missoula?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 46.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,361/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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives in Missoula?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,801/month. At HUD’s $1,361/month FMR, rent would take 76% 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 Missoula?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $43K here vs. $48K nationally.
How does Missoula compare to the national average for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives?
Missoula pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives make in Missoula, MT?
The median is $42,500 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,010, and experienced secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives can clear $53,730. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Missoula?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,899/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,361/month, which eats 46.9% 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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary go in Missoula?
Missoula has a Regional Price Parity of 96.44 (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 $44,069 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.