Administrative Assistant salary in Rochester, NY
Hiring an administrative assistant costs less in Rochester than in New York or the country as a whole. The median is $46,770 a year1: 5.7% below the New York statewide median of $49,600 and 1.6% below the US median of $47,540. Nationally it ranks #180 of 520 areas. About 6,230 administrative assistants work here, 5% of the New York total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Rochester, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Rochester against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, NY | $36,590 | $46,770 | $61,740 | |
| New York | $37,330 | $49,600 | $64,840 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Rochester earns $40,150–$53,660. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $61,740, 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 only $13,510 wide, against $15,180 across New York and $19,170 nationally: employers in Rochester 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 | $36,590 | $3,049 | $17.59 | $47,213 |
| 25th percentile | $40,150 | $3,346 | $19.30 | $51,806 |
| Median | $46,770 | $3,898 | $22.49 | $60,348 |
| 75th percentile | $53,660 | $4,472 | $25.80 | $69,239 |
| 90th percentile | $61,740 | $5,145 | $29.68 | $79,665 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $6,620 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $6,890, or about $8,890 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 median and the 75th percentile in Rochester, and the New York statewide median of $49,600 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Rochester
At the $46,770 median, a local hire costs about $60,348 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,578 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 Rochester
Of the 17 roles we track in Rochester, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between HR assistants ($48,390) and e-commerce order specialists ($45,170). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,520.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +8.8% | 4,380 | |
| HR Assistant | +3.5% | 610 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 6,230 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -3.4% | 190 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -4.3% | 9,290 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Rochester (-1.6%), between payroll specialists (-1.4%) and marketing specialists (-2.0%). The typical role here is at -2.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 11.6% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Rochester, 11.1% across New York and 10.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in New York
Across the 16 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $44,450 in Elmira to $51,440 in New York-Newark, a gap of $6,990 a year. All 3 areas in New York with more administrative assistants than Rochester also pay more, among them New York-Newark, NY-NJ ($51,440) and Albany-Schenectady, NY ($49,330).
| Area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binghamton, NY | +1.7% | 1,420 | |
| Capital/Northern New York (Nonmetro) | +0.2% | 2,100 | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | +0.0% | 6,470 | |
| Rochester, NY | this area | 6,230 | |
| Central East New York (Nonmetro) | -0.3% | 2,310 | |
| Glens Falls, NY | -0.5% | 640 | |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | -1.4% | 500 |
Rochester against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Rochester is #51 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 York, Toledo and Hilton Head Island-Bluffton pay just above Rochester and Houston-Pasadena and Coeur d'Alene just below. All four are within $190 a year of the median in Rochester. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | +0.0% | 1,060 | pay | |
| Toledo, OH | +0.0% | 3,100 | pay | |
| Rochester, NY | this area | 6,230 | ||
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | -0.0% | 33,710 | pay | |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | -0.4% | 610 | pay | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | -0.7% | 6,280 | jobs | |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | -8.4% | 6,180 | jobs | |
| Wichita, KS | -11.3% | 6,290 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Rochester, NY?
About $60,348 a year at the median, or $5,029 a month: $46,770 in pay plus about $13,578 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Rochester?
The median was $46,770 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,590, the 90th $61,740, and the middle half earned $40,150 to $53,660.
Is Rochester cheaper than the rest of New York for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $46,770 against $49,600 statewide. The next area up in New York is Buffalo-Cheektowaga at $46,780, the next down the Central East New York nonmetro area at $46,650.
How many administrative assistants work in Rochester?
BLS counts about 6,230 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the New York total of 122,490. 3 areas in New York have more; the closest in size is Buffalo-Cheektowaga, with about 6,470.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Rochester?
Yes: $1,600 a year more at the median. The medians are $46,770 and $45,170.
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.