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Administrative Assistant salary in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area

For this job the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area sits right at the US figure, with a median of $47,550 a year1. That is about level with the US median of $47,540, and 2.4% above the New Mexico statewide median of $46,450. Among US areas it comes in at #140 of 520. BLS counts about 3,250 people in this job here, 13% of the New Mexico total.

$3,962median pay per month in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area
$5,113employer cost per month with benefits
$22.86median pay per hour
3,250people in this job in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area

BLS occupation 43-6014, area Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area against New Mexico and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Northern New Mexico (Nonmetro)$34,230$47,550$60,920
New Mexico$33,870$46,450$61,820
United States$33,280$47,540$66,350
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of administrative assistants in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area earns $38,380–$59,860. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $60,920, only 1.8 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 $21,480 wide, wider than in New Mexico as a whole ($17,520) and the US ($19,170), so what a administrative assistant earns in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area depends more on the employer.

What to budget for an administrative assistant here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$34,230$2,852$16.46$44,168
25th percentile$38,380$3,198$18.45$49,523
Median$47,550$3,962$22.86$61,355
75th percentile$59,860$4,988$28.78$77,239
90th percentile$60,920$5,077$29.29$78,606

The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $9,170 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $12,310, or about $15,884 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 25th percentile and the median in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area, and the New Mexico statewide median of $46,450 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area

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 $13,805 to the $47,550 median and brings it to $61,355 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.

$61,355local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$47,467difference in year one
77%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area

Of the 15 roles we track in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($54,590) and bookkeepers ($47,050). Project Coordinator is the highest at $157,300.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 15 roles in Northern New Mexico (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs administrative assistantJobs
Paralegal
$59,150
+24.4%60
Payroll Specialist
$54,590
+14.8%70
Administrative Assistant
$47,550
this role3,250
Bookkeeper
$47,050
-1.1%740
HR Assistant
$46,850
-1.5%30

Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #5 of the 15 roles we track in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area (+0.0%), between recruiters (+0.3%) and executive assistants (-0.3%). The typical role here is at -5.9%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 39.2% of the jobs in these 15 roles in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area, 26.8% across New Mexico and 10.9% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.

Other areas in New Mexico

Across the 6 areas of New Mexico with data for this job, the median runs from $41,030 in Las Cruces to $50,170 in Santa Fe, a gap of $9,140 a year. All 2 areas in New Mexico with more administrative assistants than the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area pay less, among them Albuquerque, NM ($46,950) and the Eastern New Mexico nonmetro area ($42,850).

AreaMedianvs the Northern New Mexico nonmetro areaJobs
Santa Fe, NM
$50,170
+5.5%2,410
Northern New Mexico (Nonmetro)
$47,550
this area3,250
Albuquerque, NM
$46,950
-1.3%11,020
Farmington, NM
$45,860
-3.6%1,250
Eastern New Mexico (Nonmetro)
$42,850
-9.9%4,470
Las Cruces, NM
$41,030
-13.7%2,360

the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area is #88 of 520 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside New Mexico, Springfield and Sheboygan pay just above the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area and Naples-Marco Island and Des Moines-West Des Moines just below. All four are within $50 a year of the median in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, two pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs the Northern New Mexico nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Salem, OR
$55,660
+17.1%3,220jobs
Reno, NV
$48,310
+1.6%3,230jobs
Sheboygan, WI
$47,560
+0.0%480pay
Springfield, IL
$47,550
+0.0%1,290pay
Northern New Mexico (Nonmetro)
$47,550
this area3,250
Naples-Marco Island, FL
$47,520
-0.1%1,670pay
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
$47,500
-0.1%3,110pay
Greensboro-High Point, NC
$45,750
-3.8%3,270jobs

Questions

How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Northern New Mexico (Nonmetro)?

About $61,355 a year at the median, or $5,113 a month: $47,550 in pay plus about $13,805 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do administrative assistants earn in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area?

The median was $47,550 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $34,230, the 90th $60,920, and the middle half earned $38,380 to $59,860.

Is the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of New Mexico for administrative assistants?

No, it costs more: a median of $47,550 against $46,450 statewide. The next area up in New Mexico is Santa Fe at $50,170, the next down Albuquerque at $46,950.

How many administrative assistants work in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 3,250 in the May 2025 survey. That is 13% of the New Mexico total of 25,430. Only Albuquerque and the Eastern New Mexico nonmetro area have more in New Mexico.

Does an administrative assistant cost more than a bookkeeper in the Northern New Mexico nonmetro area?

Yes: $500 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,550 and $47,050.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6014: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.