Administrative Assistant salary in Ithaca, NY
For this job Ithaca sits right at the US figure, with a median of $47,990 a year1. That is about level with the US median of $47,540, and 3.2% below the New York statewide median of $49,600. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#113 of 520). BLS counts about 900 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Ithaca, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Ithaca against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ithaca, NY | $38,970 | $47,990 | $60,310 | |
| New York | $37,330 | $49,600 | $64,840 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Ithaca earns $42,890–$56,510. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $60,310, only 1.5 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 $13,620 wide, against $15,180 across New York and $19,170 nationally: employers in Ithaca 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 | $38,970 | $3,248 | $18.74 | $50,284 |
| 25th percentile | $42,890 | $3,574 | $20.62 | $55,342 |
| Median | $47,990 | $3,999 | $23.07 | $61,923 |
| 75th percentile | $56,510 | $4,709 | $27.17 | $72,916 |
| 90th percentile | $60,310 | $5,026 | $29.00 | $77,819 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $8,520 over the median, the 25th only $5,100 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $10,994 a year in employer cost. 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 25th percentile and the median in Ithaca, and the New York statewide median of $49,600 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Ithaca
At the $47,990 median, a local hire costs about $61,923 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,933 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 Ithaca
Of the 14 roles we track in Ithaca, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($51,030) and customer support specialists ($45,390). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,870.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +7.5% | 490 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +6.3% | 40 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 900 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -5.4% | 650 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -17.9% | 300 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #6 of the 14 roles we track in Ithaca (+0.9%), between customer support specialists (+1.4%) and accountants (+0.1%). The typical role here is at +0.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 18.3% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Ithaca, 11.9% across New York and 11.6% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in New York
Across the 16 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $44,450 in Elmira to $51,440 in New York-Newark, a gap of $6,990 a year. Of the 12 areas in New York with more administrative assistants than Ithaca, 8 pay less, the largest of them Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY ($46,780), Rochester, NY ($46,770) and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY ($47,870).
| Area | Median | vs Ithaca | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | +2.8% | 7,690 | |
| Kingston, NY | +1.3% | 920 | |
| Syracuse, NY | +1.1% | 4,950 | |
| Ithaca, NY | this area | 900 | |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | -0.3% | 3,620 | |
| Binghamton, NY | -0.9% | 1,420 | |
| Capital/Northern New York (Nonmetro) | -2.3% | 2,100 |
Ithaca against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Ithaca is #349 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside New York, Anchorage and Bangor pay just above Ithaca and Appleton and Grand Forks just below. All four are within $180 a year of the median in Ithaca. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Ithaca | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor, ME | +0.4% | 870 | pay | |
| Anchorage, AK | +0.3% | 2,560 | pay | |
| Ithaca, NY | this area | 900 | ||
| Appleton, WI | -0.1% | 1,180 | pay | |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | -0.1% | 750 | pay | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | -17.1% | 900 | jobs | |
| Abilene, TX | -18.0% | 900 | jobs | |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | -24.8% | 910 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Ithaca, NY?
About $61,923 a year at the median, or $5,160 a month: $47,990 in pay plus about $13,933 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Ithaca?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $47,990 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $38,970, the 90th $60,310, and the middle half earned $42,890 to $56,510.
Is Ithaca cheaper than the rest of New York for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $47,990 against $49,600 statewide. The next area up in New York is Syracuse at $48,500, the next down Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie at $47,870.
How many administrative assistants work in Ithaca?
BLS counts about 900 in the May 2025 survey. 12 areas in New York have more; the closest in size is Kingston, with about 920.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in Ithaca?
Yes: $2,600 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,990 and $45,390.
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.