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Administrative Assistant salary and cost of hiring in Washington

The median administrative assistant in Washington earned $57,330 a year in May 2025[1], 20.6% above the US median of $47,540. That puts Washington at #3 of 51 states for this job.

$4,778median pay per month in Washington
$6,825employer cost per month with benefits
$27.56median pay per hour
31,710people in this job in Washington

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

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Washington$43,250$57,330$74,750
United States$33,280$47,540$66,350
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of administrative assistants in Washington earns $48,840–$64,620; the top tenth earns $74,750 or more, 1.7 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the Washington median that makes about $81,900 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. 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 fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$81,900local hire, first year incl. benefits
-remote hire, first year incl. fee
-difference in year one
-of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in Washington

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$60,230
$68,08015,780
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA
$59,510
$66,110830
Longview-Kelso, WA
$57,580
$62,860430
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
$56,980
$63,930510
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA
$54,320
$62,8802,110
Bellingham, WA
$53,820
$61,080870
Kennewick-Richland, WA
$53,140
$61,8601,450
Yakima, WA
$52,540
$58,9801,020
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area
$52,040
$61,9701,790
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area
$51,950
$59,8201,390
Walla Walla, WA
$51,640
$57,570290
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA
$50,700
$59,630520
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
$49,550
$58,5102,470

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA pays the most ($60,230) and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA the least ($49,550): $10,680 a year apart for the same job.

What an administrative assistant does

An administrative assistant keeps the office running on paper and online: documents, data, scheduling, orders and the many small requests that land on a small team every day.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Washington
District of Columbia
$59,910
+4.5%
Massachusetts
$57,940
+1.1%
Washington
$57,330
+0.0%
Connecticut
$57,210
-0.2%
California
$55,400
-3.4%

Questions

How much does an administrative assistant earn in Washington?

The median was $57,330 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $48,840 to $64,620.

What does it cost to employ an administrative assistant in Washington?

About $81,900 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Washington do administrative assistants earn the most?

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, with a median of $60,230 a year.

Other roles in Washington

Hire administrative assistants remotely

How to hire administrative assistants

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6014: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes436014.htm
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-05.