Administrative Assistant salary in St. Joseph, MO-KS
St. Joseph is a lower-cost market for administrative assistants: the median of $42,210 a year1 is 3.1% below the Missouri statewide median of $43,540, and 11.2% below the US median of $47,540. Among US areas it comes in at #349 of 520. About 630 administrative assistants work here.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area St. Joseph, MO-KS. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in St. Joseph against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | $32,130 | $42,210 | $59,050 | |
| Missouri | $30,890 | $43,540 | $60,270 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in St. Joseph earns $37,110–$48,980. The top tenth earns $59,050 or more, 1.8 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 $11,870 wide, against $13,180 across Missouri and $19,170 nationally: employers in St. Joseph 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 | $32,130 | $2,678 | $15.45 | $41,458 |
| 25th percentile | $37,110 | $3,092 | $17.84 | $47,884 |
| Median | $42,210 | $3,518 | $20.29 | $54,465 |
| 75th percentile | $48,980 | $4,082 | $23.55 | $63,200 |
| 90th percentile | $59,050 | $4,921 | $28.39 | $76,194 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $5,100 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $6,770, or about $8,735 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 median and the 75th percentile in St. Joseph, and the Missouri statewide median of $43,540 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in St. Joseph
At the $42,210 median, a local hire costs about $54,465 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $12,255 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.
Other roles in St. Joseph
Of the 15 roles we track in St. Joseph, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between customer support specialists ($42,840) and medical administrative assistants ($39,000). Project Coordinator is the highest at $89,670.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +10.7% | 310 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +1.5% | 780 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 630 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -7.6% | 210 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -16.6% | 320 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #5 of the 15 roles we track in St. Joseph (-11.2%), between bookkeepers (-7.8%) and office managers (-12.1%). The typical role here is at -15.1%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in St. Joseph than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 16.1% of the jobs in these 15 roles in St. Joseph, 12.0% across Missouri and 10.9% 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. Of the 10 areas in Missouri with more administrative assistants than St. Joseph, 8 pay less, the largest of them Springfield, MO ($40,690), the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area ($37,180) and Jefferson City, MO ($40,980).
| Area | Median | vs St. Joseph | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO-KS | +10.9% | 15,930 | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | +9.5% | 15,000 | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | this area | 630 | |
| Jefferson City, MO | -2.9% | 1,880 | |
| Springfield, MO | -3.6% | 2,540 | |
| Columbia, MO | -6.0% | 1,350 | |
| Joplin, MO-KS | -8.7% | 990 |
St. Joseph against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, St. Joseph is #415 of 520 US areas for this job. The market is small, and its pay sits near the middle of the US range. Outside Missouri, Victoria and Elizabethtown pay just above St. Joseph and Wheeling and Bloomington just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in St. Joseph. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs St. Joseph | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks-College, AK | +13.4% | 630 | jobs | |
| Iowa City, IA | +7.5% | 630 | jobs | |
| Lebanon, PA | +4.0% | 630 | jobs | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | +0.3% | 470 | pay | |
| Victoria, TX | +0.1% | 440 | pay | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | this area | 630 | ||
| Wheeling, WV-OH | -0.0% | 770 | pay | |
| Bloomington, IN | -0.1% | 310 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in St. Joseph, MO-KS?
About $54,465 a year at the median, or $4,539 a month: $42,210 in pay plus about $12,255 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in St. Joseph?
The median was $42,210 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $32,130, the 90th $59,050, and the middle half earned $37,110 to $48,980.
Is St. Joseph cheaper than the rest of Missouri for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $42,210 against $43,540 statewide. The next area up in Missouri is St. Louis at $46,200, the next down Jefferson City at $40,980.
How many administrative assistants work in St. Joseph?
BLS counts about 630 in the May 2025 survey. 10 areas in Missouri have more; the closest in size is the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area, with about 960.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a medical administrative assistant in St. Joseph?
Yes: $3,210 a year more at the median. The medians are $42,210 and $39,000.
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.