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Administrative Assistant salary in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC

For this job Hilton Head Island-Bluffton sits between the state and national figures, with a median of $46,790 a year1. That is 4.3% above the South Carolina statewide median of $44,880, and 1.6% below the US median of $47,540. Among US areas it comes in at #177 of 520. BLS counts about 1,060 people in this job here, 4% of the South Carolina total.

$3,899median pay per month in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton
$5,031employer cost per month with benefits
$22.50median pay per hour
1,060people in this job in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton

BLS occupation 43-6014, area Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton against South Carolina and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC$31,570$46,790$63,500
South Carolina$29,100$44,880$61,660
United States$33,280$47,540$66,350
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

Administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $63,500, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of administrative assistants in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton earns $38,040–$57,300. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $19,260 wide, wider than in South Carolina as a whole ($15,540) and the US ($19,170), so what a administrative assistant earns in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton depends more on the employer.

What to budget for an administrative assistant here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$31,570$2,631$15.18$40,735
25th percentile$38,040$3,170$18.29$49,084
Median$46,790$3,899$22.50$60,374
75th percentile$57,300$4,775$27.55$73,935
90th percentile$63,500$5,292$30.53$81,935

An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $10,510 a year in pay and about $13,561 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,750 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, and the South Carolina statewide median of $44,880 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.

What a hire really costs in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton

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 $13,584 to the $46,790 median and brings it to $60,374 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.

$60,374local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$46,486difference in year one
77%of the local cost saved

Other roles in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton

Of the 16 roles we track in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($48,660) and HR assistants ($44,950). Project Coordinator is the highest at $79,990.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 16 roles in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
RoleMedianvs administrative assistantJobs
Data Entry Specialist
$49,280
+5.3%60
Payroll Specialist
$48,660
+4.0%40
Administrative Assistant
$46,790
this role1,060
HR Assistant
$44,950
-3.9%n/a
Medical Administrative Assistant
$41,600
-11.1%740

Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #3 of the 16 roles we track in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton (-1.6%), between bookkeepers (-0.8%) and virtual receptionists (-6.6%). The typical role here is at -10.3%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 12.0% of the jobs in the 15 of these roles with a job count in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, 12.2% across South Carolina and 10.9% nationally. That is close to the national mix.

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 6 areas in South Carolina with more administrative assistants than Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, 5 pay less, the largest of them Columbia, SC ($45,620), Greenville-Anderson, SC ($46,120) and Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC ($40,490).

AreaMedianvs Hilton Head Island-BlufftonJobs
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
$47,750
+2.1%4,420
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
$46,790
this area1,060
Greenville-Anderson, SC
$46,120
-1.4%4,870
Columbia, SC
$45,620
-2.5%6,610
Spartanburg, SC
$43,750
-6.5%1,700
Florence, SC
$42,150
-9.9%1,050
Northwestern South Carolina (Nonmetro)
$41,800
-10.7%1,100

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton is #311 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside South Carolina, Charlotte-Concord and Kansas City pay just above Hilton Head Island-Bluffton and Buffalo-Cheektowaga and Toledo just below. All four are within $20 a year of the median in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.

Metro areaMedianvs Hilton Head Island-BlufftonJobsClose in
Kansas City, MO-KS
$46,810
+0.0%15,930pay
Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC
$46,800
+0.0%11,330pay
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
$46,790
this area1,060
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
$46,780
-0.0%6,470pay
Toledo, OH
$46,780
-0.0%3,100pay
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
$44,200
-5.5%1,080jobs
Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL
$43,750
-6.5%1,040jobs
Johnson City, TN
$40,060
-14.4%1,030jobs

Questions

How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC?

About $60,374 a year at the median, or $5,031 a month: $46,790 in pay plus about $13,584 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do administrative assistants earn in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?

The median was $46,790 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,570, the 90th $63,500, and the middle half earned $38,040 to $57,300.

Is Hilton Head Island-Bluffton cheaper than the rest of South Carolina for administrative assistants?

No, it costs more: a median of $46,790 against $44,880 statewide. The next area up in South Carolina is Charleston-North Charleston at $47,750, the next down Greenville-Anderson at $46,120.

How many administrative assistants work in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?

BLS counts about 1,060 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the South Carolina total of 30,180. 6 areas in South Carolina have more; the closest in size is the Northwestern South Carolina nonmetro area, with about 1,100.

Does an administrative assistant cost more than an HR assistant in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?

Yes: $1,840 a year more at the median. The medians are $46,790 and $44,950.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6014: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.