Administrative Assistant salary in Mankato, MN
For this job Mankato sits right at the Minnesota figure, with a median of $51,410 a year1. That is about level with the Minnesota statewide median of $51,400, and 8.1% above the US median of $47,540. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#57 of 520). About 660 administrative assistants work here, 2% of the Minnesota total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Mankato, MN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Mankato against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mankato, MN | $38,370 | $51,410 | $61,640 | |
| Minnesota | $38,080 | $51,400 | $66,830 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Mankato earns $45,230–$60,080. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $61,640, only 1.6 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 $14,850 wide, against $15,680 across Minnesota and $19,170 nationally: employers in Mankato 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 | $38,370 | $3,198 | $18.45 | $49,510 |
| 25th percentile | $45,230 | $3,769 | $21.75 | $58,361 |
| Median | $51,410 | $4,284 | $24.72 | $66,335 |
| 75th percentile | $60,080 | $5,007 | $28.88 | $77,523 |
| 90th percentile | $61,640 | $5,137 | $29.63 | $79,535 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,670 a year in pay and about $11,187 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,180 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 25th percentile and the median in Mankato, and the Minnesota statewide median of $51,400 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Mankato
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 $14,925 to the $51,410 median and brings it to $66,335 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.
Other roles in Mankato
Of the 15 roles we track in Mankato, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between HR assistants ($53,910) and bookkeepers ($50,750). Project Coordinator is the highest at $80,970.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +14.5% | 60 | |
| HR Assistant | +4.9% | 50 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 660 | |
| Bookkeeper | -1.3% | 490 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -4.4% | 350 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 15 roles we track in Mankato (+8.1%); project coordinators come last (-20.9%). The typical role here is at -0.2%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in Mankato than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 14.0% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Mankato, 10.8% across Minnesota and 10.9% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Minnesota
Across the 9 areas of Minnesota with data for this job, the median runs from $46,640 in the Northeast Minnesota nonmetro area to $54,080 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, a gap of $7,440 a year. Of the 7 areas in Minnesota with more administrative assistants than Mankato, 5 pay less, the largest of them the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($48,880), the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area ($49,640) and the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($48,090).
| Area | Median | vs Mankato | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +5.2% | 19,180 | |
| Rochester, MN | +2.9% | 1,000 | |
| Mankato, MN | this area | 660 | |
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -3.4% | 1,740 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | -3.8% | 1,230 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -4.9% | 2,220 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -6.5% | 1,300 |
Mankato against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Mankato is #401 of 520 US areas for this job. The market is small, but its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Minnesota, Madison and New York-Newark pay just above Mankato and Amherst Town-Northampton and Boulder just below. All four are within $350 a year of the median in Mankato. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Mankato | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | +0.1% | 122,680 | pay | |
| Madison, WI | +0.0% | 4,630 | pay | |
| Mankato, MN | this area | 660 | ||
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | -0.6% | 1,250 | pay | |
| Boulder, CO | -0.7% | 1,510 | pay | |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | -8.5% | 670 | jobs | |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL | -16.3% | 660 | jobs | |
| Gadsden, AL | -24.4% | 670 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Mankato, MN?
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 is the pay range for administrative assistants in Mankato?
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 $38,370, the 90th $61,640, and the middle half earned $45,230 to $60,080.
Is Mankato cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for administrative assistants?
About the same: a median of $51,410 against $51,400 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is Rochester at $52,890, the next down the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area at $49,640.
How many administrative assistants work in Mankato?
BLS counts about 660 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Minnesota total of 31,330. 7 areas in Minnesota have more; the closest in size is Rochester, with about 1,000.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a bookkeeper in Mankato?
Yes: $660 a year more at the median. The medians are $51,410 and $50,750.
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.