Administrative Assistant salary in Bangor, ME
Bangor pays administrative assistants less than Maine as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $48,170 a year1: 3.3% below the Maine statewide median of $49,820 and 1.3% above the US median of $47,540. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#110 of 520). About 870 administrative assistants work here, 13% of the Maine total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Bangor, ME. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Bangor against Maine and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor, ME | $39,210 | $48,170 | $59,320 | |
| Maine | $39,530 | $49,820 | $63,470 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Bangor earns $42,710–$51,880. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $59,320, only 1.5 times the bottom tenth, against 2.0 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $9,170 wide, against $12,820 across Maine and $19,170 nationally: employers in Bangor 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 | $39,210 | $3,268 | $18.85 | $50,594 |
| 25th percentile | $42,710 | $3,559 | $20.53 | $55,110 |
| Median | $48,170 | $4,014 | $23.16 | $62,155 |
| 75th percentile | $51,880 | $4,323 | $24.94 | $66,942 |
| 90th percentile | $59,320 | $4,943 | $28.52 | $76,542 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $3,710 a year in pay and about $4,787 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,460 in pay. 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 25th percentile and the median in Bangor, and the Maine statewide median of $49,820 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Bangor
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $13,985 to the $48,170 median and brings it to $62,155 a year. 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 Bangor
Of the 16 roles we track in Bangor, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($48,490) and HR assistants ($47,920). Project Coordinator is the highest at $85,410.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +1.7% | 780 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +0.7% | 100 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 870 | |
| HR Assistant | -0.5% | 70 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -1.1% | 650 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #4 of the 16 roles we track in Bangor (+1.3%), between medical administrative assistants (+3.7%) and bookkeepers (-3.3%). The typical role here is at -7.2%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in Bangor than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 14.7% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Bangor, 12.4% across Maine and 10.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Maine
Across the 5 areas of Maine with data for this job, the median runs from $47,220 in the Northeast Maine nonmetro area to $52,000 in Portland-South Portland, a gap of $4,780 a year. Of the 2 areas in Maine with more administrative assistants than Bangor, 1 pays less: the Southwest Maine nonmetro area ($47,790).
| Area | Median | vs Bangor | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-South Portland, ME | +8.0% | 2,930 | |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | +1.5% | 460 | |
| Bangor, ME | this area | 870 | |
| Southwest Maine (Nonmetro) | -0.8% | 1,660 | |
| Northeast Maine (Nonmetro) | -2.0% | 560 |
Bangor against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Bangor is #354 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Maine, Champaign-Urbana and Midland pay just above Bangor and Anchorage and Ithaca just below. All four are within $180 a year of the median in Bangor. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Bangor | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham, WA | +11.7% | 870 | jobs | |
| Medford, OR | +0.3% | 880 | jobs | |
| Midland, TX | +0.2% | 1,400 | pay | |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | +0.2% | 1,220 | pay | |
| Bangor, ME | this area | 870 | ||
| Anchorage, AK | -0.0% | 2,560 | pay | |
| Ithaca, NY | -0.4% | 900 | pay | |
| St. George, UT | -7.4% | 880 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Bangor, ME?
About $62,155 a year at the median, or $5,180 a month: $48,170 in pay plus about $13,985 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in Bangor?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $48,170 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,210, the 90th $59,320, and the middle half earned $42,710 to $51,880.
Is Bangor cheaper than the rest of Maine for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $48,170 against $49,820 statewide. The next area up in Maine is Lewiston-Auburn at $48,880, the next down the Southwest Maine nonmetro area at $47,790.
How many administrative assistants work in Bangor?
BLS counts about 870 in the May 2025 survey. That is 13% of the Maine total of 6,740. Only Portland-South Portland and the Southwest Maine nonmetro area have more in Maine.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than an HR assistant in Bangor?
Yes: $250 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,170 and $47,920.
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.