Administrative Assistant salary in Charlottesville, VA
No other area in Virginia pays administrative assistants more than Charlottesville: the median is $53,100 a year1. That is 11.5% above the Virginia statewide median of $47,620, and 11.7% above the US median of $47,540. Nationally that is #35 of 520 areas, in the top tenth. About 1,160 administrative assistants work here, 4% of the Virginia total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Charlottesville, VA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Charlottesville against Virginia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | $37,670 | $53,100 | $63,450 | |
| Virginia | $34,040 | $47,620 | $66,700 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Charlottesville earns $44,000–$60,540. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $63,450, only 1.7 times the bottom tenth, against 2.0 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($52,020) is no higher than the median, so few high earners skew the figures here. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $16,540 wide, against $18,560 across Virginia and $19,170 nationally: employers in Charlottesville 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 | $37,670 | $3,139 | $18.11 | $48,606 |
| 25th percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21.15 | $56,774 |
| Median | $53,100 | $4,425 | $25.53 | $68,516 |
| 75th percentile | $60,540 | $5,045 | $29.11 | $78,116 |
| 90th percentile | $63,450 | $5,288 | $30.50 | $81,871 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $9,100 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $7,440, or about $9,600 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 25th percentile and the median in Charlottesville, and the Virginia statewide median of $47,620 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Charlottesville
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 $15,416 to the $53,100 median and brings it to $68,516 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 Charlottesville
Of the 17 roles we track in Charlottesville, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between paralegals ($59,740) and bookkeepers ($52,680). Project Coordinator is the highest at $97,680.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +13.7% | 80 | |
| Paralegal | +12.5% | 190 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,160 | |
| Bookkeeper | -0.8% | 870 | |
| HR Assistant | -7.2% | 80 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 17 roles we track in Charlottesville (+11.7%); sales development representatives come last (-10.3%). The typical role here is at -2.9%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in Charlottesville than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 10.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Charlottesville, 7.4% across Virginia and 10.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Virginia
Across the 13 areas of Virginia with data for this job, the median runs from $39,200 in the Southside Virginia nonmetro area to $53,100 in Charlottesville, a gap of $13,900 a year. All 3 areas in Virginia with more administrative assistants than Charlottesville pay less, among them Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC ($46,320) and Richmond, VA ($47,840).
| Area | Median | vs Charlottesville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | this area | 1,160 | |
| Richmond, VA | -9.9% | 4,940 | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | -12.8% | 5,730 | |
| Winchester, VA-WV | -13.4% | 650 | |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | -13.6% | 390 | |
| Northeast Virginia (Nonmetro) | -13.6% | 540 | |
| Harrisonburg, VA | -14.0% | 560 |
Charlottesville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Charlottesville is #287 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 Virginia, Kennewick-Richland and Los Angeles-Long Beach pay just above Charlottesville and Riverside-San Bernardino and Rochester just below. All four are within $450 a year of the median in Charlottesville. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Charlottesville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +0.8% | 58,800 | pay | |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +0.1% | 1,450 | pay | |
| Charlottesville, VA | this area | 1,160 | ||
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | -0.3% | 13,210 | pay | |
| Rochester, MN | -0.4% | 1,000 | pay | |
| Greeley, CO | -8.9% | 1,160 | jobs | |
| Bismarck, ND | -10.4% | 1,170 | jobs | |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | -26.8% | 1,160 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Charlottesville, VA?
About $68,516 a year at the median, or $5,710 a month: $53,100 in pay plus about $15,416 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in Charlottesville?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $53,100 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,670, the 90th $63,450, and the middle half earned $44,000 to $60,540.
Is Charlottesville the most expensive area in Virginia for administrative assistants?
Yes. Its median of $53,100 is the highest of 13 areas in Virginia. Richmond comes next at $47,840.
How many administrative assistants work in Charlottesville?
BLS counts about 1,160 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Virginia total of 31,580. 3 areas in Virginia have more; the closest in size is Roanoke, with about 1,230.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a bookkeeper in Charlottesville?
Yes: $420 a year more at the median. The medians are $53,100 and $52,680.
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.