Administrative Assistant salary in Boulder, CO
Boulder is the most expensive place in Colorado to hire an administrative assistant. The median is $51,060 a year1, 4.9% above the Colorado statewide median of $48,690 and 7.4% above the US median of $47,540. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#59 of 520). BLS counts about 1,510 people in this job here, 5% of the Colorado total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Boulder, CO. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Boulder against Colorado and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | $31,750 | $51,060 | $72,600 | |
| Colorado | $37,300 | $48,690 | $64,960 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $72,600 or more, 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.0 times across the US. Two offers for the same title can sit far apart. The middle half of administrative assistants in Boulder earns $43,460–$62,520. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $19,060 wide, between the figure for Colorado ($15,330) and the US figure ($19,170).
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 | $31,750 | $2,646 | $15.26 | $40,968 |
| 25th percentile | $43,460 | $3,622 | $20.89 | $56,077 |
| Median | $51,060 | $4,255 | $24.55 | $65,884 |
| 75th percentile | $62,520 | $5,210 | $30.06 | $80,671 |
| 90th percentile | $72,600 | $6,050 | $34.90 | $93,677 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $11,460 over the median, the 25th only $7,600 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $14,787 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 25th percentile and the median in Boulder, and the Colorado statewide median of $48,690 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Boulder
At the $51,060 median, a local hire costs about $65,884 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $14,824 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 Boulder
Of the 17 roles we track in Boulder, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($57,330) and e-commerce order specialists ($49,970). Project Coordinator is the highest at $122,040.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +16.9% | 80 | |
| Bookkeeper | +12.3% | 1,440 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,510 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -2.1% | 170 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -2.2% | 90 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #14 of the 17 roles we track in Boulder (+7.4%), between e-commerce order specialists (+8.2%) and customer support specialists (+6.8%). The typical role here is at +13.5%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost less in Boulder than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 6.4% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in Boulder, 9.2% across Colorado and 10.9% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Colorado
Across the 10 areas of Colorado with data for this job, the median runs from $44,450 in the Eastern and Southern Colorado nonmetro area to $51,060 in Boulder, a gap of $6,610 a year. All 4 areas in Colorado with more administrative assistants than Boulder pay less, among them Denver-Aurora, CO ($49,760) and Colorado Springs, CO ($47,010).
| Area | Median | vs Boulder | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | this area | 1,510 | |
| Denver-Aurora, CO | -2.5% | 15,350 | |
| Northwest Colorado (Nonmetro) | -3.5% | 1,600 | |
| Greeley, CO | -5.2% | 1,160 | |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | -7.7% | 1,770 | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | -7.9% | 3,480 | |
| Southwest Colorado (Nonmetro) | -8.1% | 1,420 |
Boulder against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Boulder is #216 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 Colorado, Amherst Town-Northampton and Mankato pay just above Boulder and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles and Bakersfield-Delano just below. All four are within $350 a year of the median in Boulder. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Boulder | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas, CA | +12.3% | 1,500 | jobs | |
| Mankato, MN | +0.7% | 660 | pay | |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | +0.1% | 1,250 | pay | |
| Boulder, CO | this area | 1,510 | ||
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | -0.1% | 1,170 | pay | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | -0.2% | 2,730 | pay | |
| Utica-Rome, NY | -9.7% | 1,490 | jobs | |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY | -25.0% | 1,510 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Boulder, CO?
About $65,884 a year at the median, or $5,490 a month: $51,060 in pay plus about $14,824 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Boulder?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $51,060 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,750, the 90th $72,600, and the middle half earned $43,460 to $62,520.
Is Boulder the most expensive area in Colorado for administrative assistants?
Yes. Its median of $51,060 is the highest of 10 areas in Colorado. Denver-Aurora comes next at $49,760.
How many administrative assistants work in Boulder?
BLS counts about 1,510 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the Colorado total of 29,120. 4 areas in Colorado have more; the closest in size is the Northwest Colorado nonmetro area, with about 1,600.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Boulder?
Yes: $1,090 a year more at the median. The medians are $51,060 and $49,970.
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.