Administrative Assistant salary in Madison, WI
Madison is the most expensive place in Wisconsin to hire an administrative assistant. The median is $51,410 a year1, 7.8% above the Wisconsin statewide median of $47,710 and 8.1% above the US median of $47,540. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#56 of 520). BLS counts about 4,630 people in this job here, 16% of the Wisconsin total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Madison, WI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Madison against Wisconsin and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | $39,140 | $51,410 | $65,370 | |
| Wisconsin | $36,680 | $47,710 | $61,940 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Madison earns $46,000–$60,150. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $65,370, only 1.7 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 $14,150 wide, between the figure for Wisconsin ($13,670) 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 | $39,140 | $3,262 | $18.82 | $50,503 |
| 25th percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22.12 | $59,355 |
| Median | $51,410 | $4,284 | $24.72 | $66,335 |
| 75th percentile | $60,150 | $5,012 | $28.92 | $77,613 |
| 90th percentile | $65,370 | $5,448 | $31.43 | $84,348 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $8,740 over the median, the 25th only $5,410 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $11,277 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 Madison, and the Wisconsin statewide median of $47,710 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Madison
At the $51,410 median, a local hire costs about $66,335 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $14,925 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 Madison
Of the 17 roles we track in Madison, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($53,240) and HR assistants ($50,810). Project Coordinator is the highest at $98,990.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +18.3% | 850 | |
| Bookkeeper | +3.6% | 3,760 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 4,630 | |
| HR Assistant | -1.2% | 280 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -5.9% | 2,080 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in Madison (+8.1%), between office managers (+8.3%) and customer support specialists (+6.1%). The typical role here is at +0.4%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in Madison than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 10.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Madison, 10.0% across Wisconsin and 10.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Wisconsin
Across the 17 areas of Wisconsin with data for this job, the median runs from $44,720 in the Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetro area to $51,410 in Madison, a gap of $6,690 a year. The one area in Wisconsin with more administrative assistants, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI ($48,480), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Madison | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | this area | 4,630 | |
| Kenosha, WI | -5.1% | 650 | |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | -5.7% | 7,930 | |
| Appleton, WI | -6.7% | 1,180 | |
| Sheboygan, WI | -7.5% | 480 | |
| Green Bay, WI | -8.1% | 1,540 | |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | -8.4% | 790 |
Madison against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Madison is #67 of 520 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Wisconsin, New York-Newark and Springfield pay just above Madison and Mankato and Amherst Town-Northampton just below. All four are within $310 a year of the median in Madison. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Madison | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield, MA | +0.1% | 1,900 | pay | |
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | +0.1% | 122,680 | pay | |
| Madison, WI | this area | 4,630 | ||
| Mankato, MN | +0.0% | 660 | pay | |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | -0.6% | 1,250 | pay | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | -8.4% | 4,770 | jobs | |
| Huntsville, AL | -10.3% | 4,700 | jobs | |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | -11.6% | 4,710 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Madison, WI?
About $66,335 a year at the median, or $5,528 a month: $51,410 in pay plus about $14,925 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Madison?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $51,410 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,140, the 90th $65,370, and the middle half earned $46,000 to $60,150.
Is Madison the most expensive area in Wisconsin for administrative assistants?
Yes. Its median of $51,410 is the highest of 17 areas in Wisconsin. Kenosha comes next at $48,800.
How many administrative assistants work in Madison?
BLS counts about 4,630 in the May 2025 survey. That is 16% of the Wisconsin total of 28,100. Only Milwaukee-Waukesha has more in Wisconsin.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than an HR assistant in Madison?
Yes: $600 a year more at the median. The medians are $51,410 and $50,810.
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.