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 Pennsylvania is $46,270/year ($22.25/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $48,721 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 42% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $46K get you in Pennsylvania?
About secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive pay in Pennsylvania tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $48K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 42.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive salary by metro in Pennsylvania
16 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $49K | +6% | 32,850 |
| State College | $48K | +3% | 1,140 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $47K | +3% | 3,770 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $47K | +2% | 4,130 |
| Lancaster | $46K | +0% | 2,960 |
| Pittsburgh | $46K | -2% | 12,160 |
| Reading | $46K | -2% | 1,700 |
| Chambersburg | $45K | -2% | 620 |
| York-Hanover | $45K | -3% | 1,820 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $44K | -4% | 2,670 |
| Lebanon | $44K | -5% | 630 |
| Williamsport | $43K | -6% | 570 |
| Gettysburg | $43K | -6% | 490 |
| Erie | $42K | -10% | 1,240 |
| Altoona | $39K | -16% | 640 |
| Johnstown | $39K | -16% | 700 |
Showing 1–10 of 16 metros
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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 42.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/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 Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,922/month. At HUD’s $1,351/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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive a high-paying job in Pennsylvania?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $48K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives?
Pennsylvania pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), 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 Pennsylvania?
The median is $46,270 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,040, and experienced secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives can clear $61,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,150/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 42.9% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $48,721 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.