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 Tuscaloosa, AL is $41,550/year ($19.98/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.72), which stretches that salary to about $47,367 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,169/month, about 41.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $42K get you in Tuscaloosa?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tuscaloosa’s Regional Price Parity (87.72). 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 Tuscaloosa
Pay for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive in Tuscaloosa runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,169/month, which is 41.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives in metros near Tuscaloosa, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $45K | $49K |
| Huntsville | $46K | $50K |
| Montgomery | $40K | $45K |
| Mobile | $43K | $49K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tuscaloosa, AL
Entry-level secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $28K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tuscaloosa?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 41.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,169/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 Tuscaloosa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,725/month. At HUD’s $1,169/month FMR, rent would take 68% 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 Tuscaloosa?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $42K here vs. $48K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Tuscaloosa compare to the national average for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives?
Tuscaloosa pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives make in Tuscaloosa, AL?
The median is $41,550 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,750, and experienced secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives can clear $56,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Tuscaloosa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,793/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,169/month, which eats 41.9% 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 Tuscaloosa?
Tuscaloosa has a Regional Price Parity of 87.72 (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 $47,367 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.