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Administrative Assistant salary in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area

Hiring an administrative assistant costs less in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area than in South Carolina or the country as a whole. The median is $39,990 a year1: 10.9% below the South Carolina statewide median of $44,880 and 15.9% below the US median of $47,540. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#409 of 520). BLS counts about 790 people in this job here, 3% of the South Carolina total.

$3,332median pay per month in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area
$4,300employer cost per month with benefits
$19.23median pay per hour
790people in this job in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area

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

Pay in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area against South Carolina and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Southern South Carolina (Nonmetro)$28,580$39,990$60,290
South Carolina$29,100$44,880$61,660
United States$33,280$47,540$66,350
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

Administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $60,290, 2.1 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of administrative assistants in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area earns $35,190–$48,200. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $13,010 wide, against $15,540 across South Carolina and $19,170 nationally: employers in the Southern South Carolina 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$28,580$2,382$13.74$36,877
25th percentile$35,190$2,932$16.92$45,406
Median$39,990$3,332$19.23$51,600
75th percentile$48,200$4,017$23.17$62,194
90th percentile$60,290$5,024$28.99$77,794

Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $8,210 over the median, the 25th only $4,800 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $10,594 a year in employer cost. 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 the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area, and the South Carolina statewide median of $44,880 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area

At the $39,990 median, a local hire costs about $51,600 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,610 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.

$51,600local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$37,712difference in year one
73%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area

Of the 13 roles we track in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($44,440) and customer support specialists ($37,480). Project Coordinator is the highest at $89,650.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 13 roles in Southern South Carolina (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs administrative assistantJobs
Paralegal
$47,060
+17.7%140
Bookkeeper
$44,440
+11.1%500
Administrative Assistant
$39,990
this role790
Customer Support Specialist
$37,480
-6.3%740
Medical Administrative Assistant
$37,040
-7.4%390

Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #5 of the 13 roles we track in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area (-15.9%), between office managers (-14.0%) and sales development representatives (-16.2%). The typical role here is at -16.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 18.3% of the jobs in these 13 roles in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area, 12.3% across South Carolina and 11.1% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.

Other areas in South Carolina

Across the 11 areas of South Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $38,480 in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area to $47,750 in Charleston-North Charleston, a gap of $9,270 a year. Of the 9 areas in South Carolina with more administrative assistants than the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area, 1 pays less: the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area ($38,480).

AreaMedianvs the Southern South Carolina nonmetro areaJobs
Spartanburg, SC
$43,750
+9.4%1,700
Florence, SC
$42,150
+5.4%1,050
Northwestern South Carolina (Nonmetro)
$41,800
+4.5%1,100
Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC
$40,490
+1.3%1,770
Sumter, SC
$40,210
+0.6%410
Southern South Carolina (Nonmetro)
$39,990
this area790
Northeastern South Carolina (Nonmetro)
$38,480
-3.8%1,040

the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area is #372 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 South Carolina, Johnson City and Bowling Green pay just above the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area and Idaho Falls and Terre Haute just below. All four are within $190 a year of the median in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, one pays more.

Metro areaMedianvs the Southern South Carolina nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Kahului-Wailuku, HI
$54,820
+37.1%790jobs
Bowling Green, KY
$40,180
+0.5%780pay
Johnson City, TN
$40,060
+0.2%1,030pay
Southern South Carolina (Nonmetro)
$39,990
this area790
Idaho Falls, ID
$39,910
-0.2%740pay
Terre Haute, IN
$39,900
-0.2%490pay
Hammond, LA
$35,880
-10.3%790jobs
Hattiesburg, MS
$35,620
-10.9%790jobs

Questions

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

About $51,600 a year at the median, or $4,300 a month: $39,990 in pay plus about $11,610 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

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

Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $39,990 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,580, the 90th $60,290, and the middle half earned $35,190 to $48,200.

Is the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of South Carolina for administrative assistants?

Yes, it costs less: a median of $39,990 against $44,880 statewide. The next area up in South Carolina is Sumter at $40,210, the next down the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area at $38,480.

How many administrative assistants work in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 790 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the South Carolina total of 30,180. 9 areas in South Carolina have more; the closest in size is the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area, with about 1,040.

Does an administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area?

Yes: $2,510 a year more at the median. The medians are $39,990 and $37,480.

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.