Administrative Assistant salary in Salem, OR
Administrative assistants earn more in Salem than anywhere else in Oregon. Expect a median of $55,660 a year1, 7.6% above the Oregon statewide median of $51,740 and 17.1% above the US median of $47,540. Only 16 of 520 US areas pay more for this job. About 3,220 administrative assistants work here, 14% of the Oregon total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Salem, OR. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Salem against Oregon and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | $39,720 | $55,660 | $70,320 | |
| Oregon | $38,480 | $51,740 | $70,320 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Salem earns $47,150–$61,570. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $70,320, only 1.8 times the bottom tenth, against 2.0 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($55,050) is no higher than the median, so few high earners skew the figures here. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $14,420 wide, against $15,560 across Oregon and $19,170 nationally: employers in Salem 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 | $39,720 | $3,310 | $19.10 | $51,252 |
| 25th percentile | $47,150 | $3,929 | $22.67 | $60,839 |
| Median | $55,660 | $4,638 | $26.76 | $71,819 |
| 75th percentile | $61,570 | $5,131 | $29.60 | $79,445 |
| 90th percentile | $70,320 | $5,860 | $33.81 | $90,735 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $5,910 a year in pay and about $7,626 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,510 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 Salem, and the Oregon statewide median of $51,740 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Salem
At the $55,660 median, a local hire costs about $71,819 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $16,159 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 Salem
Of the 17 roles we track in Salem, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between paralegals ($57,230) and bookkeepers ($54,420). Project Coordinator is the highest at $102,730.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +10.7% | 290 | |
| Paralegal | +2.8% | 480 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 3,220 | |
| Bookkeeper | -2.2% | 2,230 | |
| HR Assistant | -2.9% | 150 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 17 roles we track in Salem (+17.1%); marketing specialists come last (-18.5%). The typical role here is at +5.7%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in Salem than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 17.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Salem, 12.1% across Oregon and 10.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Oregon
Across the 11 areas of Oregon with data for this job, the median runs from $45,380 in the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area to $55,660 in Salem, a gap of $10,280 a year. The one area in Oregon with more administrative assistants, Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA ($55,360), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Salem | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | this area | 3,220 | |
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | -0.5% | 13,510 | |
| Corvallis, OR | -10.2% | 560 | |
| Bend, OR | -10.4% | 1,110 | |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | -11.7% | 1,670 | |
| Medford, OR | -13.2% | 880 | |
| Albany, OR | -14.5% | 610 |
Salem against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Salem is #90 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 Oregon, Hartford-West Hartford and Vallejo pay just above Salem and San Diego-Chula Vista and Modesto just below. All four are within $610 a year of the median in Salem. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Salem | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | +1.1% | 1,110 | pay | |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | +0.5% | 6,980 | pay | |
| Salem, OR | this area | 3,220 | ||
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | -0.5% | 12,070 | pay | |
| Modesto, CA | -0.9% | 1,830 | pay | |
| Reno, NV | -13.2% | 3,230 | jobs | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | -17.8% | 3,270 | jobs | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -29.9% | 3,180 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Salem, OR?
About $71,819 a year at the median, or $5,985 a month: $55,660 in pay plus about $16,159 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Salem?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $55,660 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,720, the 90th $70,320, and the middle half earned $47,150 to $61,570.
Is Salem the most expensive area in Oregon for administrative assistants?
Yes. Its median of $55,660 is the highest of 11 areas in Oregon. Portland-Vancouver comes next at $55,360.
How many administrative assistants work in Salem?
BLS counts about 3,220 in the May 2025 survey. That is 14% of the Oregon total of 23,150. Only Portland-Vancouver has more in Oregon.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a bookkeeper in Salem?
Yes: $1,240 a year more at the median. The medians are $55,660 and $54,420.
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.