Administrative Assistant salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
Buffalo-Cheektowaga is a lower-cost market for administrative assistants: the median of $46,780 a year1 is 5.7% below the New York statewide median of $49,600, and 1.6% below the US median of $47,540. Among US areas it comes in at #178 of 520. BLS counts about 6,470 people in this job here, 5% of the New York total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $35,380 | $46,780 | $62,120 | |
| New York | $37,330 | $49,600 | $64,840 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Buffalo-Cheektowaga earns $39,860–$54,850. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $62,120, only 1.8 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 $14,990 wide, against $15,180 across New York and $19,170 nationally: employers in Buffalo-Cheektowaga 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 | $35,380 | $2,948 | $17.01 | $45,652 |
| 25th percentile | $39,860 | $3,322 | $19.16 | $51,432 |
| Median | $46,780 | $3,898 | $22.49 | $60,361 |
| 75th percentile | $54,850 | $4,571 | $26.37 | $70,774 |
| 90th percentile | $62,120 | $5,177 | $29.87 | $80,155 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $6,920 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $8,070, or about $10,413 once benefits are added. 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, and the New York statewide median of $49,600 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Buffalo-Cheektowaga
At the $46,780 median, a local hire costs about $60,361 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,581 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga
Of the 17 roles we track in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($47,020) and medical administrative assistants ($45,960). Project Coordinator is the highest at $101,180.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +4.7% | 550 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +0.5% | 250 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 6,470 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -1.8% | 3,110 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -2.7% | 9,850 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in Buffalo-Cheektowaga (-1.6%), between project coordinators (-1.1%) and accountants (-1.9%). The typical role here is at -1.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 11.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, 11.1% across New York and 10.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in New York
Across the 16 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $44,450 in Elmira to $51,440 in New York-Newark, a gap of $6,990 a year. All 2 areas in New York with more administrative assistants than Buffalo-Cheektowaga also pay more, among them New York-Newark, NY-NJ ($51,440) and Albany-Schenectady, NY ($49,330).
| Area | Median | vs Buffalo-Cheektowaga | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | +2.3% | 3,620 | |
| Binghamton, NY | +1.7% | 1,420 | |
| Capital/Northern New York (Nonmetro) | +0.2% | 2,100 | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | this area | 6,470 | |
| Rochester, NY | -0.0% | 6,230 | |
| Central East New York (Nonmetro) | -0.3% | 2,310 | |
| Glens Falls, NY | -0.5% | 640 |
Buffalo-Cheektowaga against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Buffalo-Cheektowaga is #48 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 New York, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton and Charlotte-Concord pay just above Buffalo-Cheektowaga and Toledo and Houston-Pasadena just below. All four are within $30 a year of the median in Buffalo-Cheektowaga. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Buffalo-Cheektowaga | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +0.0% | 11,330 | pay | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | +0.0% | 1,060 | pay | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | this area | 6,470 | ||
| Toledo, OH | +0.0% | 3,100 | pay | |
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | -0.1% | 33,710 | pay | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | -0.7% | 6,280 | jobs | |
| Columbia, SC | -2.5% | 6,610 | jobs | |
| Wichita, KS | -11.3% | 6,290 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
About $60,361 a year at the median, or $5,030 a month: $46,780 in pay plus about $13,581 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
The median was $46,780 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,380, the 90th $62,120, and the middle half earned $39,860 to $54,850.
Is Buffalo-Cheektowaga cheaper than the rest of New York for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $46,780 against $49,600 statewide. The next area up in New York is the Capital/Northern New York nonmetro area at $46,870, the next down Rochester at $46,770.
How many administrative assistants work in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
BLS counts about 6,470 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the New York total of 122,490. Only New York-Newark and Albany-Schenectady have more in New York.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Yes: $820 a year more at the median. The medians are $46,780 and $45,960.
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.