Administrative Assistant salary in Fayetteville, NC
Hiring an administrative assistant costs less in Fayetteville than in North Carolina or the country as a whole. The median is $42,410 a year1: 7.4% below the North Carolina statewide median of $45,790 and 10.8% below the US median of $47,540. Nationally it ranks #343 of 520 areas. BLS counts about 1,100 people in this job here, 3% of the North Carolina total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Fayetteville, NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Fayetteville against North Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, NC | $30,760 | $42,410 | $59,210 | |
| North Carolina | $31,720 | $45,790 | $61,750 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
Administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $59,210, 1.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of administrative assistants in Fayetteville earns $36,610–$48,740. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $12,130 wide, against $13,770 across North Carolina and $19,170 nationally: employers in Fayetteville 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 | $30,760 | $2,563 | $14.79 | $39,690 |
| 25th percentile | $36,610 | $3,051 | $17.60 | $47,239 |
| Median | $42,410 | $3,534 | $20.39 | $54,723 |
| 75th percentile | $48,740 | $4,062 | $23.43 | $62,890 |
| 90th percentile | $59,210 | $4,934 | $28.47 | $76,400 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $6,330 a year in pay and about $8,168 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,800 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 Fayetteville, and the North Carolina statewide median of $45,790 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Fayetteville
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 $12,313 to the $42,410 median and brings it to $54,723 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 Fayetteville
Of the 17 roles we track in Fayetteville, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($45,360) and e-commerce order specialists ($42,280). Project Coordinator is the highest at $82,680.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +17.4% | 150 | |
| Bookkeeper | +7.0% | 1,020 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,100 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -0.3% | 70 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -11.3% | 1,700 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Fayetteville (-10.8%), between bookkeepers (-10.5%) and office managers (-12.4%). The typical role here is at -12.4%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 9.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Fayetteville, 8.3% across North Carolina and 10.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in North Carolina
Across the 18 areas of North Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $38,590 in Jacksonville to $48,500 in Raleigh-Cary, a gap of $9,910 a year. Of the 11 areas in North Carolina with more administrative assistants than Fayetteville, 4 pay less, the largest of them the Western North Carolina nonmetro area ($41,410), the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area ($41,250) and the Central North Carolina nonmetro area ($41,260).
| Area | Median | vs Fayetteville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville, NC | +4.3% | 1,550 | |
| Rocky Mount, NC | +1.0% | 510 | |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | +0.6% | 370 | |
| Fayetteville, NC | this area | 1,100 | |
| Hickory-Lenoir, NC | -1.7% | 1,140 | |
| Goldsboro, NC | -2.4% | 320 | |
| Western North Carolina (Nonmetro) | -2.4% | 2,900 |
Fayetteville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Fayetteville is #304 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside North Carolina, Missoula and Sioux Falls pay just above Fayetteville and Yuma and Elizabethtown just below. All four are within $150 a year of the median in Fayetteville. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Fayetteville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | +32.7% | 1,110 | jobs | |
| Bend, OR | +17.6% | 1,110 | jobs | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | +4.2% | 1,080 | jobs | |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | +0.4% | 2,060 | pay | |
| Missoula, MT | +0.2% | 480 | pay | |
| Fayetteville, NC | this area | 1,100 | ||
| Yuma, AZ | -0.0% | 690 | pay | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | -0.2% | 470 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Fayetteville, NC?
About $54,723 a year at the median, or $4,560 a month: $42,410 in pay plus about $12,313 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Fayetteville?
The median was $42,410 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $30,760, the 90th $59,210, and the middle half earned $36,610 to $48,740.
Is Fayetteville cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $42,410 against $45,790 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Pinehurst-Southern Pines at $42,660, the next down Hickory-Lenoir at $41,710.
How many administrative assistants work in Fayetteville?
BLS counts about 1,100 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the North Carolina total of 43,690. 11 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is Hickory-Lenoir, with about 1,140.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Fayetteville?
Yes: $130 a year more at the median. The medians are $42,410 and $42,280.
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.