Administrative Assistant salary in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area
No other area in Missouri pays administrative assistants less than the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area. The median is $37,180 a year1, 14.6% below the Missouri statewide median of $43,540 and 21.8% below the US median of $47,540. Nationally that is #494 of 520 areas, in the bottom tenth. About 1,920 administrative assistants work here, 6% of the Missouri total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | $28,600 | $37,180 | $51,710 | |
| Missouri | $30,890 | $43,540 | $60,270 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
Administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $51,710, 1.8 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of administrative assistants in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area earns $32,140–$44,360. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $12,220 wide, against $13,180 across Missouri and $19,170 nationally: employers in the Southeast Missouri 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 | $28,600 | $2,383 | $13.75 | $36,903 |
| 25th percentile | $32,140 | $2,678 | $15.45 | $41,471 |
| Median | $37,180 | $3,098 | $17.88 | $47,974 |
| 75th percentile | $44,360 | $3,697 | $21.33 | $57,239 |
| 90th percentile | $51,710 | $4,309 | $24.86 | $66,723 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,180 a year in pay and about $9,265 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,040 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 75th and 90th percentiles in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area, and the Missouri statewide median of $43,540 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local administrative assistants earn.
What a hire really costs in the Southeast Missouri 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 $10,794 to the $37,180 median and brings it to $47,974 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 the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area
Of the 16 roles we track in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between data entry specialists ($38,530) and customer support specialists ($37,150). Project Coordinator is the highest at $79,430.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +12.4% | 1,320 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +3.6% | 90 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,920 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -0.1% | 1,500 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -1.0% | 620 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #9 of the 16 roles we track in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area (-21.8%), between recruiters (-20.9%) and project coordinators (-22.4%). The typical role here is at -21.4%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 18.4% of the jobs in these 16 roles in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area, 12.0% across Missouri and 10.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Missouri
Across the 12 areas of Missouri with data for this job, the median runs from $37,180 in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area to $46,810 in Kansas City, a gap of $9,630 a year. All 3 areas in Missouri with more administrative assistants than the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area also pay more, among them Kansas City, MO-KS ($46,810) and St. Louis, MO-IL ($46,200).
| Area | Median | vs the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, MO | +6.7% | 1,350 | |
| Joplin, MO-KS | +3.7% | 990 | |
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | +2.5% | 1,780 | |
| Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro) | +2.2% | 960 | |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | +0.8% | 500 | |
| North Missouri (Nonmetro) | +0.8% | 1,360 | |
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,920 |
the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area is #160 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 Missouri, Lawton and Monroe pay just above the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area and Laredo and Houma-Bayou Cane just below. All four are within $170 a year of the median in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +39.3% | 1,930 | jobs | |
| Springfield, MA | +38.4% | 1,900 | jobs | |
| Lubbock, TX | +9.9% | 1,910 | jobs | |
| Monroe, LA | +0.4% | 1,150 | pay | |
| Lawton, OK | +0.2% | 570 | pay | |
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,920 | ||
| Laredo, TX | -0.3% | 1,310 | pay | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | -0.5% | 1,180 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro)?
About $47,974 a year at the median, or $3,998 a month: $37,180 in pay plus about $10,794 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $37,180 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,600, the 90th $51,710, and the middle half earned $32,140 to $44,360.
Is the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area the cheapest area in Missouri for administrative assistants?
Yes. Its median of $37,180 is the lowest of 12 areas in Missouri. The North Missouri nonmetro area is next at $37,470.
How many administrative assistants work in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,920 in the May 2025 survey. That is 6% of the Missouri total of 33,180. 3 areas in Missouri have more; the closest in size is Springfield, with about 2,540.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area?
Yes: $30 a year more at the median. The medians are $37,180 and $37,150.
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.