Administrative Assistant salary in Bowling Green, KY
Hiring an administrative assistant costs less in Bowling Green than in Kentucky or the country as a whole. The median is $40,180 a year1: 9.1% below the Kentucky statewide median of $44,200 and 15.5% below the US median of $47,540. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#404 of 520). About 780 administrative assistants work here, 4% of the Kentucky total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Bowling Green, KY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Bowling Green against Kentucky and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green, KY | $30,580 | $40,180 | $52,930 | |
| Kentucky | $30,470 | $44,200 | $60,470 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Bowling Green earns $36,160–$45,420. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $52,930, only 1.7 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 $9,260 wide, against $14,400 across Kentucky and $19,170 nationally: employers in Bowling Green 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 | $30,580 | $2,548 | $14.70 | $39,458 |
| 25th percentile | $36,160 | $3,013 | $17.38 | $46,658 |
| Median | $40,180 | $3,348 | $19.32 | $51,845 |
| 75th percentile | $45,420 | $3,785 | $21.84 | $58,606 |
| 90th percentile | $52,930 | $4,411 | $25.45 | $68,297 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $5,240 a year in pay and about $6,761 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $4,020 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 75th and 90th percentiles in Bowling Green, and the Kentucky statewide median of $44,200 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local administrative assistants earn.
What a hire really costs in Bowling Green
At the $40,180 median, a local hire costs about $51,845 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,665 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 Bowling Green
Of the 15 roles we track in Bowling Green, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($44,160) and customer support specialists ($37,970). Project Coordinator is the highest at $81,300.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +15.3% | 40 | |
| Bookkeeper | +9.9% | 900 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 780 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -5.5% | 1,170 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -5.6% | 1,040 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #8 of the 15 roles we track in Bowling Green (-15.5%), between customer support specialists (-15.2%) and executive assistants (-16.1%). The typical role here is at -15.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 11.2% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Bowling Green, 9.4% across Kentucky and 10.9% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Kentucky
Across the 10 areas of Kentucky with data for this job, the median runs from $38,280 in the East Kentucky nonmetro area to $47,790 in Lexington-Fayette, a gap of $9,510 a year. Of the 6 areas in Kentucky with more administrative assistants than Bowling Green, 3 pay less: the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area ($38,630), the West Kentucky nonmetro area ($38,820) and the East Kentucky nonmetro area ($38,280).
| Area | Median | vs Bowling Green | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | +11.3% | 2,630 | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | +5.4% | 470 | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | +4.1% | 410 | |
| Bowling Green, KY | this area | 780 | |
| Owensboro, KY | -2.0% | 470 | |
| West Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -3.4% | 1,350 | |
| South Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -3.9% | 1,600 |
Bowling Green against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Bowling Green is #373 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 Kentucky, Sumter and Sierra Vista-Douglas pay just above Bowling Green and Johnson City and Idaho Falls just below. All four are within $270 a year of the median in Bowling Green. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Bowling Green | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | +36.4% | 790 | jobs | |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | +0.1% | 360 | pay | |
| Sumter, SC | +0.1% | 410 | pay | |
| Bowling Green, KY | this area | 780 | ||
| Johnson City, TN | -0.3% | 1,030 | pay | |
| Idaho Falls, ID | -0.7% | 740 | pay | |
| Hammond, LA | -10.7% | 790 | jobs | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | -11.3% | 790 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Bowling Green, KY?
About $51,845 a year at the median, or $4,320 a month: $40,180 in pay plus about $11,665 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in Bowling Green?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $40,180 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $30,580, the 90th $52,930, and the middle half earned $36,160 to $45,420.
Is Bowling Green cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $40,180 against $44,200 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is Paducah at $41,820, the next down Owensboro at $39,360.
How many administrative assistants work in Bowling Green?
BLS counts about 780 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Kentucky total of 18,420. 6 areas in Kentucky have more; the closest in size is the East Kentucky nonmetro area, with about 1,210.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in Bowling Green?
Yes: $2,210 a year more at the median. The medians are $40,180 and $37,970.
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.