Administrative Assistant salary in Traverse City, MI
Hiring an administrative assistant costs less in Traverse City than in Michigan or the country as a whole. The median is $44,200 a year1: 4.0% below the Michigan statewide median of $46,020 and 7.0% below the US median of $47,540. Among US areas it comes in at #281 of 520. About 640 administrative assistants work here, 2% of the Michigan total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Traverse City, MI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Traverse City against Michigan and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traverse City, MI | $31,480 | $44,200 | $59,600 | |
| Michigan | $33,360 | $46,020 | $63,950 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Traverse City earns $37,760–$48,310. The top tenth earns $59,600 or more, 1.9 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 $10,550 wide, against $14,740 across Michigan and $19,170 nationally: employers in Traverse City 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 | $31,480 | $2,623 | $15.13 | $40,619 |
| 25th percentile | $37,760 | $3,147 | $18.15 | $48,723 |
| Median | $44,200 | $3,683 | $21.25 | $57,032 |
| 75th percentile | $48,310 | $4,026 | $23.23 | $62,335 |
| 90th percentile | $59,600 | $4,967 | $28.65 | $76,903 |
Local pay is bunched just above the median: the 75th percentile is only $4,110 over it, while the 25th sits $6,440 below. Moving an offer from the median to the 75th percentile costs about $5,303 more a year with benefits. 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 Traverse City, and the Michigan statewide median of $46,020 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Traverse City
At the $44,200 median, a local hire costs about $57,032 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $12,832 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 Traverse City
Of the 16 roles we track in Traverse City, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($46,350) and medical administrative assistants ($42,180). Project Coordinator is the highest at $83,720.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +21.2% | 40 | |
| Bookkeeper | +4.9% | 890 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 640 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -4.6% | 530 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -4.9% | 960 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #4 of the 16 roles we track in Traverse City (-7.0%), between customer support specialists (-6.1%) and payroll specialists (-8.1%). The typical role here is at -10.6%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in Traverse City than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 10.1% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Traverse City, 10.1% across Michigan and 10.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Michigan
Across the 19 areas of Michigan with data for this job, the median runs from $39,660 in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area to $50,600 in Ann Arbor, a gap of $10,940 a year. Of the 11 areas in Michigan with more administrative assistants than Traverse City, 5 pay less, the largest of them the Mid Michigan nonmetro area ($40,180), Flint, MI ($42,600) and the Southern Michigan nonmetro area ($43,130).
| Area | Median | vs Traverse City | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | +1.9% | 520 | |
| Saginaw, MI | +0.8% | 740 | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | +0.0% | 1,080 | |
| Traverse City, MI | this area | 640 | |
| Battle Creek, MI | -0.4% | 450 | |
| Bay City, MI | -1.0% | 330 | |
| Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Nonmetro) | -1.7% | 1,230 |
Traverse City against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Traverse City is #409 of 520 US areas for this job. The market is small, and its pay sits near the middle of the US range. Outside Michigan, Kokomo and Asheville pay just above Traverse City and Wildwood-The Villages and Blacksburg-Christiansburg just below. All four are within $100 a year of the median in Traverse City. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Traverse City | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glens Falls, NY | +5.3% | 640 | jobs | |
| Asheville, NC | +0.1% | 1,550 | pay | |
| Kokomo, IN | +0.0% | 200 | pay | |
| Traverse City, MI | this area | 640 | ||
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | -0.1% | 380 | pay | |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA | -0.2% | 700 | pay | |
| Punta Gorda, FL | -1.2% | 640 | jobs | |
| Altoona, PA | -11.7% | 640 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Traverse City, MI?
About $57,032 a year at the median, or $4,753 a month: $44,200 in pay plus about $12,832 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in Traverse City?
The median was $44,200 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,480, the 90th $59,600, and the middle half earned $37,760 to $48,310.
Is Traverse City cheaper than the rest of Michigan for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $44,200 against $46,020 statewide. The next area up in Michigan is Kalamazoo-Portage at $44,200, the next down Battle Creek at $44,040.
How many administrative assistants work in Traverse City?
BLS counts about 640 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Michigan total of 40,830. 11 areas in Michigan have more; the closest in size is Saginaw, with about 740.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Traverse City?
Yes: $2,020 a year more at the median. The medians are $44,200 and $42,180.
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.