Administrative Assistant salary in Cincinnati, OH-KY
For this job Cincinnati sits right at the US figure, with a median of $47,850 a year1. That is about level with the US median of $47,540, and 3.5% above the Ohio statewide median of $46,230. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#120 of 520). BLS counts about 9,670 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Cincinnati against Ohio and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY | $34,860 | $47,850 | $69,790 | |
| Ohio | $32,130 | $46,230 | $63,150 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
Administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $69,790, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of administrative assistants in Cincinnati earns $40,470–$57,920. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $17,450 wide, between the figure for Ohio ($15,540) 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 | $34,860 | $2,905 | $16.76 | $44,981 |
| 25th percentile | $40,470 | $3,372 | $19.46 | $52,219 |
| Median | $47,850 | $3,988 | $23.00 | $61,742 |
| 75th percentile | $57,920 | $4,827 | $27.85 | $74,735 |
| 90th percentile | $69,790 | $5,816 | $33.55 | $90,052 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $7,380 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $10,070, or about $12,994 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 Cincinnati, and the Ohio statewide median of $46,230 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Cincinnati
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 $13,892 to the $47,850 median and brings it to $61,742 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 Cincinnati
Of the 17 roles we track in Cincinnati, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($49,590) and customer support specialists ($46,470). Project Coordinator is the highest at $95,380.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +6.2% | 610 | |
| Bookkeeper | +3.6% | 9,050 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 9,670 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -2.9% | 19,410 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -3.1% | 780 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in Cincinnati (+0.7%), between paralegals (+2.3%) and office managers (+0.5%). The typical role here is at -1.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 9.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Cincinnati, 10.7% across Ohio and 10.8% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Ohio
Across the 16 areas of Ohio with data for this job, the median runs from $41,580 in Youngstown-Warren to $47,870 in Columbus, a gap of $6,290 a year. The one area in Ohio with more administrative assistants, Cleveland, OH ($46,120), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Cincinnati | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, OH | +0.0% | 9,570 | |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY | this area | 9,670 | |
| Toledo, OH | -2.2% | 3,100 | |
| Dayton-Kettering, OH | -3.2% | 3,640 | |
| Akron, OH | -3.6% | 3,360 | |
| Cleveland, OH | -3.6% | 10,450 | |
| Sandusky, OH | -6.8% | 520 |
Cincinnati against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Cincinnati is #34 of 520 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Ohio, Fairbanks-College and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie pay just above Cincinnati and Durham-Chapel Hill and Lexington Park just below. All four are within $20 a year of the median in Cincinnati. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Cincinnati | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | +15.0% | 8,450 | jobs | |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | +0.0% | 3,620 | pay | |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | +0.0% | 630 | pay | |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY | this area | 9,670 | ||
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | -0.0% | 3,120 | pay | |
| Lexington Park, MD | -0.0% | 1,260 | pay | |
| Albuquerque, NM | -1.9% | 11,020 | jobs | |
| Birmingham, AL | -6.8% | 10,900 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Cincinnati, OH-KY?
About $61,742 a year at the median, or $5,145 a month: $47,850 in pay plus about $13,892 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Cincinnati?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $47,850 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $34,860, the 90th $69,790, and the middle half earned $40,470 to $57,920.
Is Cincinnati cheaper than the rest of Ohio for administrative assistants?
No, it costs more: a median of $47,850 against $46,230 statewide. The next area up in Ohio is Columbus at $47,870, the next down Toledo at $46,780.
How many administrative assistants work in Cincinnati?
BLS counts about 9,670 in the May 2025 survey. Only Cleveland has more in Ohio.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in Cincinnati?
Yes: $1,380 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,850 and $46,470.
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.