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Administrative Assistant salary and cost of hiring in Iowa

The median administrative assistant in Iowa earned $45,150 a year in May 2025[1], 5.0% below the US median of $47,540. That puts Iowa at #35 of 51 states for this job.

$3,762median pay per month in Iowa
$5,375employer cost per month with benefits
$21.71median pay per hour
12,830people in this job in Iowa

BLS occupation 43-6014. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Iowa$33,880$45,150$60,760
United States$33,280$47,540$66,350
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of administrative assistants in Iowa earns $38,040–$51,070; the top tenth earns $60,760 or more, 1.8 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the Iowa median that makes about $64,500 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. 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 fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$64,500local hire, first year incl. benefits
-remote hire, first year incl. fee
-difference in year one
-of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in Iowa

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Ames, IA
$48,740
$55,370620
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
$47,500
$55,8103,110
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
$46,230
$52,480720
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
$45,950
$51,910640
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
$45,710
$53,2001,670
Dubuque, IA
$45,430
$54,220440
Iowa City, IA
$45,390
$57,910630
Cedar Rapids, IA
$45,110
$50,5601,290
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$42,640
$48,8101,650
Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$42,340
$47,180680
Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$41,700
$47,6301,030
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$39,810
$47,2701,150

Ames, IA pays the most ($48,740) and Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area the least ($39,810): $8,930 a year apart for the same job.

What an administrative assistant does

An administrative assistant keeps the office running on paper and online: documents, data, scheduling, orders and the many small requests that land on a small team every day.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Iowa
North Carolina
$45,790
+1.4%
Wyoming
$45,450
+0.7%
Iowa
$45,150
+0.0%
Texas
$45,140
-0.0%
South Carolina
$44,880
-0.6%

Questions

How much does an administrative assistant earn in Iowa?

The median was $45,150 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $38,040 to $51,070.

What does it cost to employ an administrative assistant in Iowa?

About $64,500 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Iowa do administrative assistants earn the most?

Ames, IA, with a median of $48,740 a year.

Other roles in Iowa

Hire administrative assistants remotely

How to hire administrative assistants

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6014: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes436014.htm
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-05.