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Administrative Assistant salary in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area

The Southwest Alabama nonmetro area is a lower-cost market for administrative assistants: the median of $38,120 a year1 is 8.4% below the Alabama statewide median of $41,630, and 19.8% below the US median of $47,540. Only 51 of 520 US areas pay less for this job. About 1,660 administrative assistants work here, 4% of the Alabama total.

$3,177median pay per month in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area
$4,099employer cost per month with benefits
$18.33median pay per hour
1,660people in this job in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area

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

Pay in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area against Alabama and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro)$27,230$38,120$55,360
Alabama$29,170$41,630$59,090
United States$33,280$47,540$66,350
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

Administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $55,360, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of administrative assistants in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area earns $31,320–$46,950. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $15,630 wide, between the figure for Alabama ($13,540) and the US figure ($19,170).

What to budget for an administrative assistant here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$27,230$2,269$13.09$35,135
25th percentile$31,320$2,610$15.06$40,413
Median$38,120$3,177$18.33$49,187
75th percentile$46,950$3,912$22.57$60,581
90th percentile$55,360$4,613$26.62$71,432

An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,830 a year in pay and about $11,394 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,800 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 Southwest Alabama nonmetro area, and the Alabama statewide median of $41,630 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 Southwest Alabama 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 $11,067 to the $38,120 median and brings it to $49,187 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.

$49,187local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$35,299difference in year one
72%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area

Of the 15 roles we track in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between paralegals ($38,590) and customer support specialists ($37,300). Project Coordinator is the highest at $91,000.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 15 roles in Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs administrative assistantJobs
Bookkeeper
$39,650
+4.0%640
Paralegal
$38,590
+1.2%120
Administrative Assistant
$38,120
this role1,660
Customer Support Specialist
$37,300
-2.2%640
Medical Administrative Assistant
$34,880
-8.5%450

Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #3 of the 15 roles we track in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area (-19.8%), between customer support specialists (-16.7%) and recruiters (-20.1%). The typical role here is at -22.2%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 29.9% of the jobs in these 15 roles in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area, 20.8% across Alabama and 10.9% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.

Other areas in Alabama

Across the 16 areas of Alabama with data for this job, the median runs from $37,480 in the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area to $46,090 in Huntsville, a gap of $8,610 a year. Of the 8 areas in Alabama with more administrative assistants than the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area, 1 pays less: the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area ($37,480).

AreaMedianvs the Southwest Alabama nonmetro areaJobs
Dothan, AL
$39,500
+3.6%1,190
Northwest Alabama (Nonmetro)
$39,430
+3.4%1,440
Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro)
$39,000
+2.3%2,870
Gadsden, AL
$38,860
+1.9%670
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
$38,850
+1.9%1,160
Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro)
$38,120
this area1,660
Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro)
$37,480
-1.7%1,740

the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area is #195 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 Alabama, Huntington-Ashland and Macon-Bibb County pay just above the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area and Gulfport-Biloxi and Lafayette just below. All four are within $280 a year of the median in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, all three pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs the Southwest Alabama nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Eugene-Springfield, OR
$49,140
+28.9%1,670jobs
Naples-Marco Island, FL
$47,520
+24.7%1,670jobs
Davenport-Moline, IA-IL
$45,710
+19.9%1,670jobs
Macon-Bibb County, GA
$38,400
+0.7%960pay
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY
$38,280
+0.4%1,510pay
Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro)
$38,120
this area1,660
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS
$38,100
-0.1%1,670pay
Lafayette, LA
$38,060
-0.2%2,210pay

Questions

How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro)?

About $49,187 a year at the median, or $4,099 a month: $38,120 in pay plus about $11,067 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do administrative assistants earn in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area?

Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $38,120 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $27,230, the 90th $55,360, and the middle half earned $31,320 to $46,950.

Is the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Alabama for administrative assistants?

Yes, it costs less: a median of $38,120 against $41,630 statewide. The next area up in Alabama is Florence-Muscle Shoals at $38,850, the next down the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area at $37,480.

How many administrative assistants work in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 1,660 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Alabama total of 45,050. 8 areas in Alabama have more; the closest in size is the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area, with about 1,740.

Does an administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area?

Yes: $820 a year more at the median. The medians are $38,120 and $37,300.

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.