Administrative Assistant salary in St. Cloud, MN
The median administrative assistant in St. Cloud earned $49,470 a year in May 20251. That is 4.1% above the US median of $47,540, even though it is 3.8% below the Minnesota statewide median of $51,400. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#80 of 520). BLS counts about 1,230 people in this job here, 4% of the Minnesota total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area St. Cloud, MN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in St. Cloud against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Cloud, MN | $38,370 | $49,470 | $65,690 | |
| Minnesota | $38,080 | $51,400 | $66,830 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in St. Cloud earns $43,120–$57,190. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $65,690, only 1.7 times the bottom tenth, against 2.0 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $14,070 wide, against $15,680 across Minnesota and $19,170 nationally: employers in St. Cloud 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 | $38,370 | $3,198 | $18.45 | $49,510 |
| 25th percentile | $43,120 | $3,593 | $20.73 | $55,639 |
| Median | $49,470 | $4,122 | $23.78 | $63,832 |
| 75th percentile | $57,190 | $4,766 | $27.50 | $73,794 |
| 90th percentile | $65,690 | $5,474 | $31.58 | $84,761 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $6,350 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 25th percentile and the median in St. Cloud, and the Minnesota statewide median of $51,400 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in St. Cloud
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 $14,362 to the $49,470 median and brings it to $63,832 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 St. Cloud
Of the 17 roles we track in St. Cloud, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($50,020) and HR assistants ($48,210). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,390.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +2.2% | 880 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +1.1% | 30 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,230 | |
| HR Assistant | -2.5% | 150 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -2.7% | 1,850 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in St. Cloud (+4.1%), between customer support specialists (+7.5%) and office managers (+3.3%). The typical role here is at -1.6%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in St. Cloud than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 13.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in St. Cloud, 10.7% across Minnesota and 10.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Minnesota
Across the 9 areas of Minnesota with data for this job, the median runs from $46,640 in the Northeast Minnesota nonmetro area to $54,080 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, a gap of $7,440 a year. Of the 4 areas in Minnesota with more administrative assistants than St. Cloud, 2 pay less: the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($48,880) and the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($48,090).
| Area | Median | vs St. Cloud | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, MN | +6.9% | 1,000 | |
| Mankato, MN | +3.9% | 660 | |
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | +0.3% | 1,740 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | this area | 1,230 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -1.2% | 2,220 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -2.8% | 1,300 | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | -3.5% | 1,220 |
St. Cloud against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, St. Cloud is #271 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Minnesota, Spokane-Spokane Valley and Denver-Aurora pay just above St. Cloud and Albany-Schenectady and Carson City just below. All four are within $290 a year of the median in St. Cloud. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs St. Cloud | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora, CO | +0.6% | 15,350 | pay | |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | +0.2% | 2,470 | pay | |
| St. Cloud, MN | this area | 1,230 | ||
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | -0.3% | 7,690 | pay | |
| Carson City, NV | -0.4% | 960 | pay | |
| Roanoke, VA | -8.8% | 1,230 | jobs | |
| Lawrence, KS | -13.8% | 1,230 | jobs | |
| Manhattan, KS | -18.2% | 1,230 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in St. Cloud, MN?
About $63,832 a year at the median, or $5,319 a month: $49,470 in pay plus about $14,362 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in St. Cloud?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $49,470 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $38,370, the 90th $65,690, and the middle half earned $43,120 to $57,190.
Is St. Cloud cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $49,470 against $51,400 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area at $49,640, the next down the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area at $48,880.
How many administrative assistants work in St. Cloud?
BLS counts about 1,230 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Minnesota total of 31,330. 4 areas in Minnesota have more; the closest in size is the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area, with about 1,300.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than an HR assistant in St. Cloud?
Yes: $1,260 a year more at the median. The medians are $49,470 and $48,210.
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.