Administrative Assistant salary in Waterbury-Shelton, CT
Waterbury-Shelton is the least expensive place in Connecticut to hire an administrative assistant. The median is $50,460 a year1, 11.8% below the Connecticut statewide median of $57,210 and 6.1% above the US median of $47,540. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#65 of 520). BLS counts about 2,330 people in this job here, 10% of the Connecticut total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Waterbury-Shelton, CT. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Waterbury-Shelton against Connecticut and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $39,630 | $50,460 | $69,630 | |
| Connecticut | $40,700 | $57,210 | $78,300 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Waterbury-Shelton earns $46,200–$60,570. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $69,630, only 1.8 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 $14,370 wide, against $18,420 across Connecticut and $19,170 nationally: employers in Waterbury-Shelton 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 | $39,630 | $3,302 | $19.05 | $51,135 |
| 25th percentile | $46,200 | $3,850 | $22.21 | $59,613 |
| Median | $50,460 | $4,205 | $24.26 | $65,110 |
| 75th percentile | $60,570 | $5,048 | $29.12 | $78,155 |
| 90th percentile | $69,630 | $5,802 | $33.48 | $89,845 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $10,110 over the median, the 25th only $4,260 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $13,045 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 Waterbury-Shelton, and the Connecticut statewide median of $57,210 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Waterbury-Shelton
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 $14,650 to the $50,460 median and brings it to $65,110 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 Waterbury-Shelton
Of the 17 roles we track in Waterbury-Shelton, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between HR assistants ($52,070) and medical administrative assistants ($47,510). Project Coordinator is the highest at $99,990.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +5.2% | 50 | |
| HR Assistant | +3.2% | 90 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 2,330 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -5.8% | 490 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -7.7% | 2,130 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Waterbury-Shelton (+6.1%), between office managers (+6.2%) and recruiters (+5.1%). The typical role here is at +5.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 14.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Waterbury-Shelton, 12.6% across Connecticut and 10.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Connecticut
Across the 6 areas of Connecticut with data for this job, the median runs from $50,460 in Waterbury-Shelton to $63,800 in New Haven, a gap of $13,340 a year. All 3 areas in Connecticut with more administrative assistants than Waterbury-Shelton also pay more, among them Hartford-West Hartford, CT ($55,940) and Bridgeport-Stamford, CT ($57,440).
| Area | Median | vs Waterbury-Shelton | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | +26.4% | 4,780 | |
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | +13.8% | 5,800 | |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | +10.9% | 6,980 | |
| Norwich-New London, CT | +7.7% | 1,410 | |
| Connecticut (Nonmetro) | +0.4% | 790 | |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | this area | 2,330 |
Waterbury-Shelton against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Waterbury-Shelton is #130 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 Connecticut, Ann Arbor and Wenatchee-East Wenatchee pay just above Waterbury-Shelton and Chicago-Naperville and Burlington-South Burlington just below. All four are within $250 a year of the median in Waterbury-Shelton. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Waterbury-Shelton | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | +0.5% | 520 | pay | |
| Ann Arbor, MI | +0.3% | 2,290 | pay | |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | this area | 2,330 | ||
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | -0.0% | 50,190 | pay | |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | -0.5% | 1,200 | pay | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | -9.0% | 2,330 | jobs | |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach, FL | -15.6% | 2,350 | jobs | |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | -17.7% | 2,330 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?
About $65,110 a year at the median, or $5,426 a month: $50,460 in pay plus about $14,650 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Waterbury-Shelton?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $50,460 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,630, the 90th $69,630, and the middle half earned $46,200 to $60,570.
Is Waterbury-Shelton the cheapest area in Connecticut for administrative assistants?
Yes. Its median of $50,460 is the lowest of 6 areas in Connecticut. The Connecticut nonmetro area is next at $50,640.
How many administrative assistants work in Waterbury-Shelton?
BLS counts about 2,330 in the May 2025 survey. That is 10% of the Connecticut total of 22,650. 3 areas in Connecticut have more; the closest in size is New Haven, with about 4,780.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Waterbury-Shelton?
Yes: $2,950 a year more at the median. The medians are $50,460 and $47,510.
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.