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 Paducah, KY-IL is $41,820/year ($20.1/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.08), which stretches that salary to about $48,583 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,058/month, about 37.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $42K actually covers in Paducah, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Paducah’s Regional Price Parity (86.08). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Paducah
Pay for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive in Paducah runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,058/month, which is 37.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.08 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% 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 executive.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives in metros near Paducah, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $47K | $51K |
| Lexington-Fayette | $48K | $51K |
| Bowling Green | $40K | $45K |
| Elizabethtown | $42K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Paducah, KY-IL
Entry-level secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $58K 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 annually. We'll email you when Paducah numbers change.
Related careers in Office & Admin
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive afford a 2BR apartment alone in Paducah?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 37.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,058/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 Paducah?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,140/month. At HUD’s $1,058/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 Paducah?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $42K here vs. $48K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Paducah compare to the national average for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives?
Paducah pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.08), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives make in Paducah, KY-IL?
The median is $41,820 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,970, and experienced secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives can clear $57,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Paducah?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,831/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,058/month, which eats 37.4% 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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary go in Paducah?
Paducah has a Regional Price Parity of 86.08 (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 $48,583 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.