Administrative Assistant salary in Dover, DE
No other area in Delaware pays administrative assistants more than Dover: the median is $45,360 a year1. That is 5.4% below the Delaware statewide median of $47,970, and 4.6% below the US median of $47,540. Among US areas it comes in at #243 of 520. It is the largest market for the job in Delaware: about 1,170 people, 19% of the Delaware total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Dover, DE. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Dover against Delaware and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover, DE | $35,750 | $45,360 | $61,520 | |
| Delaware | $35,930 | $47,970 | $64,170 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Dover earns $38,410–$55,200. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $61,520, 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 $16,790 wide, against $18,370 across Delaware and $19,170 nationally: employers in Dover 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 | $35,750 | $2,979 | $17.19 | $46,129 |
| 25th percentile | $38,410 | $3,201 | $18.47 | $49,561 |
| Median | $45,360 | $3,780 | $21.81 | $58,529 |
| 75th percentile | $55,200 | $4,600 | $26.54 | $71,226 |
| 90th percentile | $61,520 | $5,127 | $29.58 | $79,381 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $9,840 a year in pay and about $12,697 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,950 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 median and the 75th percentile in Dover, and the Delaware statewide median of $47,970 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Dover
At the $45,360 median, a local hire costs about $58,529 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,169 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 Dover
Of the 16 roles we track in Dover, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($45,520) and customer support specialists ($42,120). Project Coordinator is the highest at $109,940.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +10.0% | 60 | |
| Bookkeeper | +0.4% | 600 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,170 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -7.1% | 1,000 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -14.3% | 560 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #5 of the 16 roles we track in Dover (-4.6%), between virtual receptionists (-3.8%) and customer support specialists (-5.9%). The typical role here is at -8.9%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in Dover than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 17.3% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Dover, 11.8% across Delaware and 10.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Delaware
Across the 2 areas of Delaware with data for this job, the median runs from $44,980 in the Sussex Delaware nonmetro area to $45,360 in Dover, a gap of $380 a year. No other area in Delaware has as many administrative assistants, and the other one pays less.
| Area | Median | vs Dover | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover, DE | this area | 1,170 | |
| Sussex Delaware (Nonmetro) | -0.8% | 1,030 |
Dover against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Dover is #285 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Delaware, Wilmington and Chambersburg pay just above Dover and Atlanta-Sandy Springs and Cedar Rapids just below. All four are within $250 a year of the median in Dover. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Dover | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | +12.5% | 1,170 | jobs | |
| Appleton, WI | +5.7% | 1,180 | jobs | |
| Bismarck, ND | +4.9% | 1,170 | jobs | |
| Chambersburg, PA | +0.0% | 620 | pay | |
| Wilmington, NC | +0.0% | 2,070 | pay | |
| Dover, DE | this area | 1,170 | ||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA | -0.2% | 25,280 | pay | |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | -0.6% | 1,290 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Dover, DE?
About $58,529 a year at the median, or $4,877 a month: $45,360 in pay plus about $13,169 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Dover?
The median was $45,360 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,750, the 90th $61,520, and the middle half earned $38,410 to $55,200.
Is Dover the most expensive area in Delaware for administrative assistants?
Yes. Its median of $45,360 is the highest of 2 areas in Delaware. The Sussex Delaware nonmetro area comes next at $44,980.
How many administrative assistants work in Dover?
BLS counts about 1,170 in the May 2025 survey. That is 19% of the Delaware total of 6,320. No other area in Delaware has as many.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in Dover?
Yes: $3,240 a year more at the median. The medians are $45,360 and $42,120.
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.