Administrative Assistant salary in Syracuse, NY
The median administrative assistant in Syracuse earned $48,500 a year in May 20251. That is 2.0% above the US median of $47,540, even though it is 2.2% below the New York statewide median of $49,600. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#101 of 520). BLS counts about 4,950 people in this job here, 4% of the New York total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Syracuse, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Syracuse against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse, NY | $37,230 | $48,500 | $62,890 | |
| New York | $37,330 | $49,600 | $64,840 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Syracuse earns $43,710–$57,510. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $62,890, 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 $13,800 wide, against $15,180 across New York and $19,170 nationally: employers in Syracuse 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 | $37,230 | $3,102 | $17.90 | $48,039 |
| 25th percentile | $43,710 | $3,642 | $21.01 | $56,400 |
| Median | $48,500 | $4,042 | $23.32 | $62,581 |
| 75th percentile | $57,510 | $4,792 | $27.65 | $74,206 |
| 90th percentile | $62,890 | $5,241 | $30.24 | $81,148 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $9,010 over the median, the 25th only $4,790 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $11,626 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 25th percentile and the median in Syracuse, and the New York statewide median of $49,600 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Syracuse
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 $14,081 to the $48,500 median and brings it to $62,581 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 Syracuse
Of the 17 roles we track in Syracuse, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between HR assistants ($50,210) and e-commerce order specialists ($47,410). Project Coordinator is the highest at $105,390.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +7.2% | 2,980 | |
| HR Assistant | +3.5% | 280 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 4,950 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -2.2% | 90 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -6.5% | 4,710 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Syracuse (+2.0%), between bookkeepers (+2.6%) and recruiters (+1.6%). The typical role here is at +1.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 15.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Syracuse, 11.1% across New York and 10.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in New York
Across the 16 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $44,450 in Elmira to $51,440 in New York-Newark, a gap of $6,990 a year. Of the 4 areas in New York with more administrative assistants than Syracuse, 2 pay less: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY ($46,780) and Rochester, NY ($46,770).
| Area | Median | vs Syracuse | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | +6.1% | 122,680 | |
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | +1.7% | 7,690 | |
| Kingston, NY | +0.2% | 920 | |
| Syracuse, NY | this area | 4,950 | |
| Ithaca, NY | -1.1% | 900 | |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | -1.3% | 3,620 | |
| Binghamton, NY | -1.9% | 1,420 |
Syracuse against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Syracuse is #59 of 520 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside New York, Raleigh-Cary and Lansing-East Lansing pay just above Syracuse and Milwaukee-Waukesha and Austin-Round Rock just below. All four are within $170 a year of the median in Syracuse. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Syracuse | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | +0.4% | 2,460 | pay | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | +0.0% | 7,170 | pay | |
| Syracuse, NY | this area | 4,950 | ||
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | -0.0% | 7,930 | pay | |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | -0.1% | 13,870 | pay | |
| Richmond, VA | -1.4% | 4,940 | jobs | |
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | -4.9% | 4,870 | jobs | |
| Tulsa, OK | -16.1% | 5,060 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Syracuse, NY?
About $62,581 a year at the median, or $5,215 a month: $48,500 in pay plus about $14,081 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in Syracuse?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $48,500 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,230, the 90th $62,890, and the middle half earned $43,710 to $57,510.
Is Syracuse cheaper than the rest of New York for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $48,500 against $49,600 statewide. The next area up in New York is Kingston at $48,620, the next down Ithaca at $47,990.
How many administrative assistants work in Syracuse?
BLS counts about 4,950 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the New York total of 122,490. 4 areas in New York have more; the closest in size is Rochester, with about 6,230.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Syracuse?
Yes: $1,090 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,500 and $47,410.
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.