Administrative Assistant salary in Abilene, TX
Hiring an administrative assistant costs less in Abilene than in Texas or the country as a whole. The median is $39,360 a year1: 12.8% below the Texas statewide median of $45,140 and 17.2% below the US median of $47,540. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#429 of 520). BLS counts about 900 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Abilene, TX. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Abilene against Texas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene, TX | $27,610 | $39,360 | $58,280 | |
| Texas | $29,810 | $45,140 | $63,020 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Abilene earns $33,520–$48,570. The top tenth earns $58,280 or more, 2.1 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $15,050 wide, against $17,510 across Texas and $19,170 nationally: employers in Abilene pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an administrative assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $27,610 | $2,301 | $13.27 | $35,626 |
| 25th percentile | $33,520 | $2,793 | $16.12 | $43,252 |
| Median | $39,360 | $3,280 | $18.92 | $50,787 |
| 75th percentile | $48,570 | $4,048 | $23.35 | $62,671 |
| 90th percentile | $58,280 | $4,857 | $28.02 | $75,200 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $9,210 over the median, the 25th only $5,840 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $11,884 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $47,540 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Abilene, and the Texas statewide median of $45,140 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Abilene
At the $39,360 median, a local hire costs about $50,787 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,427 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for administrative assistants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Abilene
Of the 16 roles we track in Abilene, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between medical administrative assistants ($43,790) and customer support specialists ($36,830). Project Coordinator is the highest at $82,230.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +15.9% | 650 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +11.3% | 940 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 900 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -6.4% | 2,550 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -8.6% | 100 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #10 of the 16 roles we track in Abilene (-17.2%), between executive assistants (-17.1%) and sales development representatives (-17.4%). The typical role here is at -15.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 10.1% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Abilene, 9.6% across Texas and 10.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Texas
Across the 32 areas of Texas with data for this job, the median runs from $36,310 in Eagle Pass to $48,470 in Austin-Round Rock, a gap of $12,160 a year. Of the 24 areas in Texas with more administrative assistants than Abilene, 6 pay less, the largest of them El Paso, TX ($39,280), McAllen-Edinburg, TX ($39,010) and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX ($38,800).
| Area | Median | vs Abilene | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Plains Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | +2.2% | 2,070 | |
| North Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | +1.8% | 3,580 | |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | +0.7% | 1,430 | |
| Abilene, TX | this area | 900 | |
| El Paso, TX | -0.2% | 3,720 | |
| Wichita Falls, TX | -0.6% | 730 | |
| Eastern Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | -0.6% | 1,570 |
Abilene against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Abilene is #347 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Texas, Sebring and Topeka pay just above Abilene and Owensboro and Beckley just below. All four are within $140 a year of the median in Abilene. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Abilene | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ithaca, NY | +21.9% | 900 | jobs | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | +1.1% | 900 | jobs | |
| Topeka, KS | +0.4% | 2,920 | pay | |
| Sebring, FL | +0.1% | 340 | pay | |
| Abilene, TX | this area | 900 | ||
| Owensboro, KY | +0.0% | 470 | pay | |
| Beckley, WV | -0.0% | 490 | pay | |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | -8.3% | 910 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Abilene, TX?
About $50,787 a year at the median, or $4,232 a month: $39,360 in pay plus about $11,427 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Abilene?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $39,360 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $27,610, the 90th $58,280, and the middle half earned $33,520 to $48,570.
Is Abilene cheaper than the rest of Texas for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $39,360 against $45,140 statewide. The next area up in Texas is College Station-Bryan at $39,620, the next down El Paso at $39,280.
How many administrative assistants work in Abilene?
BLS counts about 900 in the May 2025 survey. 24 areas in Texas have more; the closest in size is Odessa, with about 920.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in Abilene?
Yes: $2,530 a year more at the median. The medians are $39,360 and $36,830.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6014: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.