Executive Assistant salary in the Central Missouri nonmetro area
Hiring an executive assistant costs less in the Central Missouri nonmetro area than in Missouri or the country as a whole. The median is $49,680 a year1: 17.6% below the Missouri statewide median of $60,320 and 35.1% below the US median of $76,590. Only 13 of 509 US areas pay less for this job. BLS counts about 290 executive assistants here, 3% of the Missouri total: a small pool for a local search.
BLS occupation 43-6011, area Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Central Missouri nonmetro area against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | $33,740 | $49,680 | $82,490 | |
| Missouri | $42,340 | $60,320 | $95,030 | |
| United States | $50,560 | $76,590 | $109,850 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $82,490 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth, against 2.2 times across the US. Two offers for the same title can sit far apart. The middle half of executive assistants in the Central Missouri nonmetro area earns $43,920–$60,550. The mean ($54,230) is 9% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $16,630 wide, against $26,170 across Missouri and $33,000 nationally: employers in the Central Missouri nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an executive assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33,740 | $2,812 | $16.22 | $43,535 |
| 25th percentile | $43,920 | $3,660 | $21.12 | $56,671 |
| Median | $49,680 | $4,140 | $23.88 | $64,103 |
| 75th percentile | $60,550 | $5,046 | $29.11 | $78,129 |
| 90th percentile | $82,490 | $6,874 | $39.66 | $106,439 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $10,870 over the median, the 25th only $5,760 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $14,026 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 $76,590 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles in the Central Missouri nonmetro area, and the Missouri statewide median of $60,320 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local executive assistants earn.
What a hire really costs in the Central Missouri nonmetro area
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 $14,423 to the $49,680 median and brings it to $64,103 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
Our open executive assistant roles pay $800–$1,100 a month under a direct contract. The one-time fee is $2,5003 with a 180-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month4. Change any number below to match your plan.
A local hire here costs about 4.4 times as much as a remote hire in year one at the midpoint of our range. From year two, when the fee drops out, it is 5.3 times the remote figure of $11,988. About the candidates: most apply through our assessment platform with a written and a spoken English task; each profile shows the English level (B1–C2); Silkstaff interviews every shortlisted candidate live, in English, before you meet them.
Other roles in the Central Missouri nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Central Missouri nonmetro area, this one ranks #6 by median pay, between marketing specialists ($49,920) and HR assistants ($47,120). Project Coordinator is the highest at $74,080.
| Role | Median | vs executive assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +14.0% | 870 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +0.5% | 400 | |
| Executive Assistant | this role | 290 | |
| HR Assistant | -5.2% | 80 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -5.2% | 400 |
Measured against the US median, executive assistants rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in the Central Missouri nonmetro area (-35.1%), between sales development representatives (-32.7%) and marketing specialists (-36.6%). The typical role here is at -18.5%, so, measured against the US, executive assistants cost less in the Central Missouri nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Executive assistants hold 2.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Central Missouri nonmetro area, 3.1% across Missouri and 2.9% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Missouri
Across the 12 areas of Missouri with data for this job, the median runs from $49,480 in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area to $64,460 in Kansas City, a gap of $14,980 a year. All 4 areas in Missouri with more executive assistants than the Central Missouri nonmetro area also pay more, among them St. Louis, MO-IL ($63,500) and Kansas City, MO-KS ($64,460).
| Area | Median | vs the Central Missouri nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield, MO | +8.5% | 570 | |
| Joplin, MO-KS | +7.9% | 160 | |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | +7.5% | 90 | |
| North Missouri (Nonmetro) | +4.4% | 200 | |
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | +2.6% | 220 | |
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | this area | 290 | |
| Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro) | -0.4% | 130 |
the Central Missouri nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Central Missouri nonmetro area is #182 of 506 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Missouri, Goldsboro and Little Rock-North Little Rock pay just above the Central Missouri nonmetro area and Hot Springs and Monroe just below. Of the three markets with about as many executive assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Central Missouri nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, PA | +33.7% | 290 | jobs | |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass, FL | +24.9% | 290 | jobs | |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | +9.6% | 290 | jobs | |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | +0.1% | 860 | pay | |
| Goldsboro, NC | +0.1% | 60 | pay | |
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | this area | 290 | ||
| Hot Springs, AR | -1.1% | 40 | pay | |
| Monroe, LA | -2.8% | 300 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in Central Missouri (Nonmetro)?
About $64,103 a year at the median, or $5,342 a month: $49,680 in pay plus about $14,423 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do executive assistants earn in the Central Missouri nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $49,680 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $33,740, the 90th $82,490, and the middle half earned $43,920 to $60,550.
Is the Central Missouri nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Missouri for executive assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $49,680 against $60,320 statewide. The next area up in Missouri is the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area at $50,960, the next down the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area at $49,480.
How many executive assistants work in the Central Missouri nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 290 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Missouri total of 8,500. 4 areas in Missouri have more; the closest in size is Columbia, with about 390.
Does an executive assistant cost more than an HR assistant in the Central Missouri nonmetro area?
Yes: $2,560 a year more at the median. The medians are $49,680 and $47,120.
What does a remote executive assistant cost compared with the Central Missouri nonmetro area?
Our open roles pay $800–$1,100 a month. At the midpoint, with the one-time fee and Deel, year one comes to $14,488, against about $64,103 for a local hire at the median.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6011: 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 2026-11-13.