Administrative Assistant salary in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area
No other area in South Carolina pays administrative assistants less than the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area. The median is $38,480 a year1, 14.3% below the South Carolina statewide median of $44,880 and 19.1% below the US median of $47,540. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#460 of 520). About 1,040 administrative assistants work here, 3% of the South Carolina total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Northeastern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area against South Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | $23,640 | $38,480 | $58,600 | |
| South Carolina | $29,100 | $44,880 | $61,660 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $58,600 or more, 2.5 times the bottom tenth, against 2.0 times across the US. Two offers for the same title can sit far apart. The middle half of administrative assistants in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area earns $33,260–$47,970. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $14,710 wide, against $15,540 across South Carolina and $19,170 nationally: employers in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area 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 | $23,640 | $1,970 | $11.37 | $30,503 |
| 25th percentile | $33,260 | $2,772 | $15.99 | $42,916 |
| Median | $38,480 | $3,207 | $18.50 | $49,652 |
| 75th percentile | $47,970 | $3,998 | $23.06 | $61,897 |
| 90th percentile | $58,600 | $4,883 | $28.17 | $75,613 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $9,490 over the median, the 25th only $5,220 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $12,245 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 median and the 75th percentile in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area, and the South Carolina statewide median of $44,880 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area
At the $38,480 median, a local hire costs about $49,652 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,172 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 the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area
Of the 16 roles we track in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($44,720) and data entry specialists ($38,250). Project Coordinator is the highest at $82,840.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +21.3% | 170 | |
| Bookkeeper | +16.2% | 650 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,040 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -0.6% | 50 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -2.6% | 470 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #10 of the 16 roles we track in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area (-19.1%), between project coordinators (-19.0%) and marketing specialists (-19.8%). The typical role here is at -18.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 17.2% of the jobs in these 16 roles in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area, 12.1% across South Carolina and 10.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in South Carolina
Across the 11 areas of South Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $38,480 in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area to $47,750 in Charleston-North Charleston, a gap of $9,270 a year. All 8 areas in South Carolina with more administrative assistants than the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area also pay more, among them Columbia, SC ($45,620) and Greenville-Anderson, SC ($46,120).
| Area | Median | vs the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg, SC | +13.7% | 1,700 | |
| Florence, SC | +9.5% | 1,050 | |
| Northwestern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | +8.6% | 1,100 | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | +5.2% | 1,770 | |
| Sumter, SC | +4.5% | 410 | |
| Southern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | +3.9% | 790 | |
| Northeastern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,040 |
the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area is #315 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 South Carolina, Joplin and Shreveport-Bossier City pay just above the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area and Jackson and Macon-Bibb County just below. All four are within $100 a year of the median in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | +13.7% | 1,040 | jobs | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | +11.3% | 1,020 | jobs | |
| Johnson City, TN | +4.1% | 1,030 | jobs | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | +0.3% | 2,200 | pay | |
| Joplin, MO-KS | +0.2% | 990 | pay | |
| Northeastern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,040 | ||
| Jackson, MS | -0.1% | 3,730 | pay | |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | -0.2% | 960 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Northeastern South Carolina (Nonmetro)?
About $49,652 a year at the median, or $4,138 a month: $38,480 in pay plus about $11,172 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $38,480 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $23,640, the 90th $58,600, and the middle half earned $33,260 to $47,970.
Is the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area the cheapest area in South Carolina for administrative assistants?
Yes. Its median of $38,480 is the lowest of 11 areas in South Carolina. The Southern South Carolina nonmetro area is next at $39,990.
How many administrative assistants work in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,040 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the South Carolina total of 30,180. 8 areas in South Carolina have more; the closest in size is Florence, with about 1,050.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a data entry specialist in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area?
Yes: $230 a year more at the median. The medians are $38,480 and $38,250.
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.