Administrative Assistant salary in Lafayette, LA
Hiring an administrative assistant costs less in Lafayette than in Louisiana or the country as a whole. The median is $38,060 a year1: 1.9% below the Louisiana statewide median of $38,790 and 19.9% below the US median of $47,540. Nationally that is #473 of 520 areas, in the bottom tenth. About 2,210 administrative assistants work here, 8% of the Louisiana total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Lafayette, LA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lafayette against Louisiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette, LA | $26,310 | $38,060 | $53,230 | |
| Louisiana | $26,680 | $38,790 | $56,340 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Lafayette earns $31,170–$45,490. The top tenth earns $53,230 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $14,320 wide, against $14,870 across Louisiana and $19,170 nationally: employers in Lafayette 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 | $26,310 | $2,192 | $12.65 | $33,948 |
| 25th percentile | $31,170 | $2,598 | $14.99 | $40,219 |
| Median | $38,060 | $3,172 | $18.30 | $49,110 |
| 75th percentile | $45,490 | $3,791 | $21.87 | $58,697 |
| 90th percentile | $53,230 | $4,436 | $25.59 | $68,684 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $6,890 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $7,430, or about $9,587 once benefits are added. 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 75th and 90th percentiles in Lafayette, and the Louisiana statewide median of $38,790 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local administrative assistants earn.
What a hire really costs in Lafayette
At the $38,060 median, a local hire costs about $49,110 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,050 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 Lafayette
Of the 16 roles we track in Lafayette, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($38,910) and e-commerce order specialists ($37,750). Project Coordinator is the highest at $80,720.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Entry Specialist | +6.5% | 300 | |
| Bookkeeper | +2.2% | 2,130 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 2,210 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -0.8% | 50 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -0.9% | 640 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #10 of the 16 roles we track in Lafayette (-19.9%), between accountants (-19.2%) and virtual receptionists (-20.6%). The typical role here is at -18.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 15.1% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Lafayette, 17.2% across Louisiana and 11.1% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Louisiana
Across the 13 areas of Louisiana with data for this job, the median runs from $33,860 in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area to $42,830 in New Orleans-Metairie, a gap of $8,970 a year. All 2 areas in Louisiana with more administrative assistants than Lafayette also pay more, among them New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($42,830) and Baton Rouge, LA ($40,910).
| Area | Median | vs Lafayette | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | +7.5% | 5,950 | |
| Lake Charles, LA | +5.8% | 1,390 | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | +1.4% | 2,200 | |
| Lafayette, LA | this area | 2,210 | |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | -1.1% | 1,330 | |
| Monroe, LA | -1.9% | 1,150 | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | -2.8% | 1,180 |
Lafayette against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lafayette is #140 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Louisiana, Gulfport-Biloxi and Huntington-Ashland pay just above Lafayette and Albany and Fort Smith just below. All four are within $420 a year of the median in Lafayette. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lafayette | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ogden, UT | +20.9% | 2,210 | jobs | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | +19.9% | 2,250 | jobs | |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | +9.3% | 2,260 | jobs | |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY | +0.6% | 1,510 | pay | |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | +0.1% | 1,670 | pay | |
| Lafayette, LA | this area | 2,210 | ||
| Albany, GA | -0.6% | 550 | pay | |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | -1.1% | 720 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Lafayette, LA?
About $49,110 a year at the median, or $4,092 a month: $38,060 in pay plus about $11,050 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Lafayette?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $38,060 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $26,310, the 90th $53,230, and the middle half earned $31,170 to $45,490.
Is Lafayette cheaper than the rest of Louisiana for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $38,060 against $38,790 statewide. The next area up in Louisiana is Shreveport-Bossier City at $38,580, the next down Slidell-Mandeville at $37,660.
How many administrative assistants work in Lafayette?
BLS counts about 2,210 in the May 2025 survey. That is 8% of the Louisiana total of 28,040. Only New Orleans-Metairie and Baton Rouge have more in Louisiana.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Lafayette?
Yes: $310 a year more at the median. The medians are $38,060 and $37,750.
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.