Administrative Assistant salary in Baton Rouge, LA
Baton Rouge pays administrative assistants more than Louisiana as a whole but less than the country. The median is $40,910 a year1: 5.5% above the Louisiana statewide median of $38,790 and 13.9% below the US median of $47,540. Nationally it ranks #382 of 520 areas. About 5,950 administrative assistants work here, 21% of the Louisiana total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Baton Rouge, LA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Baton Rouge against Louisiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | $28,340 | $40,910 | $57,560 | |
| Louisiana | $26,680 | $38,790 | $56,340 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
Administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $57,560, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of administrative assistants in Baton Rouge earns $34,510–$48,390. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $13,880 wide, against $14,870 across Louisiana and $19,170 nationally: employers in Baton Rouge 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 | $28,340 | $2,362 | $13.62 | $36,568 |
| 25th percentile | $34,510 | $2,876 | $16.59 | $44,529 |
| Median | $40,910 | $3,409 | $19.67 | $52,787 |
| 75th percentile | $48,390 | $4,032 | $23.26 | $62,439 |
| 90th percentile | $57,560 | $4,797 | $27.67 | $74,271 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,480 a year in pay and about $9,652 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,400 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 median and the 75th percentile in Baton Rouge, and the Louisiana statewide median of $38,790 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Baton Rouge
At the $40,910 median, a local hire costs about $52,787 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,877 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 Baton Rouge
Of the 17 roles we track in Baton Rouge, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($46,740) and data entry specialists ($39,630). Project Coordinator is the highest at $86,650.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +18.4% | 200 | |
| Bookkeeper | +14.3% | 4,060 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 5,950 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -3.1% | 210 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -5.3% | 5,750 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in Baton Rouge (-13.9%), between customer support specialists (-13.4%) and sales development representatives (-14.0%). The typical role here is at -13.4%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 15.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Baton Rouge, 16.3% across Louisiana and 10.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Louisiana
Across the 13 areas of Louisiana with data for this job, the median runs from $33,860 in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area to $42,830 in New Orleans-Metairie, a gap of $8,970 a year. The one area in Louisiana with more administrative assistants, New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($42,830), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Baton Rouge | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | +4.7% | 6,180 | |
| Baton Rouge, LA | this area | 5,950 | |
| Lake Charles, LA | -1.6% | 1,390 | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | -5.7% | 2,200 | |
| Lafayette, LA | -7.0% | 2,210 | |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | -7.9% | 1,330 | |
| Monroe, LA | -8.8% | 1,150 |
Baton Rouge against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Baton Rouge is #53 of 520 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Louisiana, Jefferson City and Las Cruces pay just above Baton Rouge and Lubbock and Jackson just below. All four are within $190 a year of the median in Baton Rouge. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Baton Rouge | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | +40.4% | 5,800 | jobs | |
| Rochester, NY | +14.3% | 6,230 | jobs | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | +13.2% | 5,730 | jobs | |
| Las Cruces, NM | +0.3% | 2,360 | pay | |
| Jefferson City, MO | +0.2% | 1,880 | pay | |
| Baton Rouge, LA | this area | 5,950 | ||
| Lubbock, TX | -0.1% | 1,910 | pay | |
| Jackson, TN | -0.5% | 850 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Baton Rouge, LA?
About $52,787 a year at the median, or $4,399 a month: $40,910 in pay plus about $11,877 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in Baton Rouge?
The median was $40,910 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,340, the 90th $57,560, and the middle half earned $34,510 to $48,390.
Is Baton Rouge cheaper than the rest of Louisiana for administrative assistants?
No, it costs more: a median of $40,910 against $38,790 statewide. The next area up in Louisiana is New Orleans-Metairie at $42,830, the next down Lake Charles at $40,260.
How many administrative assistants work in Baton Rouge?
BLS counts about 5,950 in the May 2025 survey. That is 21% of the Louisiana total of 28,040. Only New Orleans-Metairie has more in Louisiana.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a data entry specialist in Baton Rouge?
Yes: $1,280 a year more at the median. The medians are $40,910 and $39,630.
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.