Administrative Assistant salary in Florence, SC
Hiring an administrative assistant costs less in Florence than in South Carolina or the country as a whole. The median is $42,150 a year1: 6.1% below the South Carolina statewide median of $44,880 and 11.3% below the US median of $47,540. Nationally it ranks #352 of 520 areas. About 1,050 administrative assistants work here, 3% of the South Carolina total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Florence, SC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Florence against South Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence, SC | $26,900 | $42,150 | $60,580 | |
| South Carolina | $29,100 | $44,880 | $61,660 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $60,580 or more, 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.0 times across the US. Two offers for the same title can sit far apart. The middle half of administrative assistants in Florence earns $34,450–$50,520. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $16,070 wide, between the figure for South Carolina ($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 | $26,900 | $2,242 | $12.93 | $34,710 |
| 25th percentile | $34,450 | $2,871 | $16.56 | $44,452 |
| Median | $42,150 | $3,512 | $20.26 | $54,387 |
| 75th percentile | $50,520 | $4,210 | $24.29 | $65,187 |
| 90th percentile | $60,580 | $5,048 | $29.12 | $78,168 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,370 a year in pay and about $10,800 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,700 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 Florence, and the South Carolina statewide median of $44,880 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Florence
At the $42,150 median, a local hire costs about $54,387 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $12,237 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 Florence
Of the 14 roles we track in Florence, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($45,300) and customer support specialists ($37,270). Project Coordinator is the highest at $87,400.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +14.4% | 210 | |
| Bookkeeper | +7.5% | 730 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,050 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -11.6% | 1,680 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -12.1% | 790 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #4 of the 14 roles we track in Florence (-11.3%), between office managers (-11.2%) and virtual receptionists (-12.8%). The typical role here is at -15.7%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in Florence than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 13.0% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Florence, 12.2% across South Carolina and 11.0% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in South Carolina
Across the 11 areas of South Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $38,480 in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area to $47,750 in Charleston-North Charleston, a gap of $9,270 a year. Of the 7 areas in South Carolina with more administrative assistants than Florence, 2 pay less: Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC ($40,490) and the Northwestern South Carolina nonmetro area ($41,800).
| Area | Median | vs Florence | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | +9.4% | 4,870 | |
| Columbia, SC | +8.2% | 6,610 | |
| Spartanburg, SC | +3.8% | 1,700 | |
| Florence, SC | this area | 1,050 | |
| Northwestern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | -0.8% | 1,100 | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | -3.9% | 1,770 | |
| Sumter, SC | -4.6% | 410 |
Florence against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Florence is #312 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside South Carolina, Bloomington and Wheeling pay just above Florence and Chattanooga and Erie just below. All four are within $300 a year of the median in Florence. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Florence | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | +4.9% | 1,080 | jobs | |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | +3.8% | 1,040 | jobs | |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | +0.1% | 770 | pay | |
| Bloomington, IN | +0.1% | 310 | pay | |
| Florence, SC | this area | 1,050 | ||
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | -0.4% | 2,470 | pay | |
| Erie, PA | -0.7% | 1,240 | pay | |
| Johnson City, TN | -5.0% | 1,030 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Florence, SC?
About $54,387 a year at the median, or $4,532 a month: $42,150 in pay plus about $12,237 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Florence?
The median was $42,150 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $26,900, the 90th $60,580, and the middle half earned $34,450 to $50,520.
Is Florence cheaper than the rest of South Carolina for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $42,150 against $44,880 statewide. The next area up in South Carolina is Spartanburg at $43,750, the next down the Northwestern South Carolina nonmetro area at $41,800.
How many administrative assistants work in Florence?
BLS counts about 1,050 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the South Carolina total of 30,180. 7 areas in South Carolina have more; the closest in size is Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, with about 1,060.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in Florence?
Yes: $4,880 a year more at the median. The medians are $42,150 and $37,270.
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.