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Administrative Assistant salary in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area

The Southern Indiana nonmetro area is the least expensive place in Indiana to hire an administrative assistant. The median is $38,080 a year1, 14.0% below the Indiana statewide median of $44,270 and 19.9% below the US median of $47,540. Nationally that is #472 of 520 areas, in the bottom tenth. BLS counts about 1,090 people in this job here, 5% of the Indiana total.

$3,173median pay per month in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area
$4,095employer cost per month with benefits
$18.31median pay per hour
1,090people in this job in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area

BLS occupation 43-6014, area Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area against Indiana and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Southern Indiana (Nonmetro)$27,950$38,080$52,390
Indiana$31,220$44,270$60,160
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 Southern Indiana nonmetro area earns $32,850–$45,800. The top tenth earns $52,390 or more, 1.9 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $12,950 wide, against $13,190 across Indiana and $19,170 nationally: employers in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.

What to budget for an administrative assistant here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$27,950$2,329$13.44$36,065
25th percentile$32,850$2,738$15.79$42,387
Median$38,080$3,173$18.31$49,135
75th percentile$45,800$3,817$22.02$59,097
90th percentile$52,390$4,366$25.19$67,600

The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $5,230 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $7,720, or about $9,961 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 75th and 90th percentiles in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area, and the Indiana statewide median of $44,270 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 Southern Indiana 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 $11,055 to the $38,080 median and brings it to $49,135 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.

$49,135local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$35,247difference in year one
72%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area

Of the 17 roles we track in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area, this one ranks #16 by median pay, between data entry specialists ($38,430) and virtual receptionists ($34,030). Project Coordinator is the highest at $80,990.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 17 roles in Southern Indiana (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs administrative assistantJobs
E-commerce Order Specialist
$38,980
+2.4%160
Medical Administrative Assistant
$38,930
+2.2%1,070
Data Entry Specialist
$38,430
+0.9%90
Administrative Assistant
$38,080
this role1,090
Virtual Receptionist
$34,030
-10.6%930

Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #13 of the 17 roles we track in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area (-19.9%), between recruiters (-17.5%) and project coordinators (-20.8%). The typical role here is at -14.5%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost less in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 9.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area, 7.5% across Indiana and 10.8% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.

Other areas in Indiana

Across the 15 areas of Indiana with data for this job, the median runs from $38,080 in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area to $47,270 in Lafayette-West Lafayette, a gap of $9,190 a year. All 4 areas in Indiana with more administrative assistants than the Southern Indiana nonmetro area also pay more, among them Indianapolis-Carmel, IN ($46,450) and the Northern Indiana nonmetro area ($39,280).

AreaMedianvs the Southern Indiana nonmetro areaJobs
Bloomington, IN
$42,180
+10.8%310
Terre Haute, IN
$39,900
+4.8%490
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
$39,510
+3.8%980
Northern Indiana (Nonmetro)
$39,280
+3.2%1,510
Muncie, IN
$38,780
+1.8%340
Central Indiana (Nonmetro)
$38,150
+0.2%1,030
Southern Indiana (Nonmetro)
$38,080
this area1,090

the Southern Indiana nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the Southern Indiana nonmetro area is #307 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 Indiana, Gulfport-Biloxi and Huntington-Ashland pay just above the Southern Indiana nonmetro area and Lafayette and Albany just below. All four are within $250 a year of the median in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, all three pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs the Southern Indiana nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Bend, OR
$49,890
+31.0%1,110jobs
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
$44,200
+16.1%1,080jobs
Fayetteville, NC
$42,410
+11.4%1,100jobs
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY
$38,280
+0.5%1,510pay
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS
$38,100
+0.1%1,670pay
Southern Indiana (Nonmetro)
$38,080
this area1,090
Lafayette, LA
$38,060
-0.1%2,210pay
Albany, GA
$37,830
-0.7%550pay

Questions

How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Southern Indiana (Nonmetro)?

About $49,135 a year at the median, or $4,095 a month: $38,080 in pay plus about $11,055 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What is the pay range for administrative assistants in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area?

Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $38,080 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $27,950, the 90th $52,390, and the middle half earned $32,850 to $45,800.

Is the Southern Indiana nonmetro area the cheapest area in Indiana for administrative assistants?

Yes. Its median of $38,080 is the lowest of 15 areas in Indiana. The Central Indiana nonmetro area is next at $38,150.

How many administrative assistants work in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 1,090 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the Indiana total of 20,100. 4 areas in Indiana have more; the closest in size is Lafayette-West Lafayette, with about 1,310.

Does an administrative assistant cost more than a virtual receptionist in the Southern Indiana nonmetro area?

Yes: $4,050 a year more at the median. The medians are $38,080 and $34,030.

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.