Executive Assistant salary in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area
Hiring an executive assistant costs less in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area than in Washington or the country as a whole. The median is $71,760 a year1: 9.5% below the Washington statewide median of $79,250 and 6.3% below the US median of $76,590. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#109 of 509). About 320 executive assistants work here, 3% of the Washington total.
BLS occupation 43-6011, area Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area against Washington and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | $42,160 | $71,760 | $84,940 | |
| Washington | $59,810 | $79,250 | $106,720 | |
| United States | $50,560 | $76,590 | $109,850 |
The middle half of executive assistants in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area earns $58,240–$78,380. The top tenth earns $84,940 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.2 times. The mean ($69,200) is no higher than the median, so few high earners skew the figures here. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $20,140 wide, between the figure for Washington ($17,900) and the US figure ($33,000).
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 | $42,160 | $3,513 | $20.27 | $54,400 |
| 25th percentile | $58,240 | $4,853 | $28.00 | $75,148 |
| Median | $71,760 | $5,980 | $34.50 | $92,594 |
| 75th percentile | $78,380 | $6,532 | $37.68 | $101,135 |
| 90th percentile | $84,940 | $7,078 | $40.84 | $109,600 |
Local pay is bunched just above the median: the 75th percentile is only $6,620 over it, while the 25th sits $13,520 below. Moving an offer from the median to the 75th percentile costs about $8,542 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 $76,590 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, and the Washington statewide median of $79,250 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles.
What a hire really costs in the Eastern Washington 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 $20,834 to the $71,760 median and brings it to $92,594 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.
For the $92,594 a local hire costs here, you could cover about 6.4 remote hires in year one at the midpoint of our range. From year two the fee drops out and the remote figure is $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 Eastern Washington nonmetro area
Of the 16 roles we track in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, this one ranks #6 by median pay, between marketing specialists ($71,880) and sales development representatives ($71,280). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,780.
| Role | Median | vs executive assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +4.1% | 930 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +0.2% | 310 | |
| Executive Assistant | this role | 320 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -0.7% | 240 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -8.9% | 130 |
Measured against the US median, executive assistants rank #15 of the 16 roles we track in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area (-6.3%), between project coordinators (-5.4%) and marketing specialists (-8.7%). The typical role here is at +4.6%, so, measured against the US, executive assistants cost less in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Executive assistants hold 3.9% of the jobs in these 16 roles in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, 3.4% across Washington and 2.9% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Washington
Across the 13 areas of Washington with data for this job, the median runs from $61,380 in Walla Walla to $80,860 in Seattle-Tacoma, a gap of $19,480 a year. Of the 5 areas in Washington with more executive assistants than the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, 1 pays less: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($71,550).
| Area | Median | vs the Eastern Washington nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | +5.6% | 250 | |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | +4.9% | 100 | |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | +4.9% | 130 | |
| Yakima, WA | +2.0% | 180 | |
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | this area | 320 | |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | -0.3% | 550 | |
| Walla Walla, WA | -14.5% | 60 |
the Eastern Washington nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Eastern Washington nonmetro area is #166 of 506 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Washington, Jackson and Amherst Town-Northampton pay just above the Eastern Washington nonmetro area and Manhattan and Manchester-Nashua just below. All four are within $530 a year of the median in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many executive assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Eastern Washington nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | +3.6% | 320 | jobs | |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | +0.4% | 240 | pay | |
| Jackson, MI | +0.2% | 130 | pay | |
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | this area | 320 | ||
| Manhattan, KS | -0.6% | 100 | pay | |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | -0.7% | 350 | pay | |
| Corpus Christi, TX | -6.1% | 320 | jobs | |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach, FL | -14.8% | 330 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in Eastern Washington (Nonmetro)?
About $92,594 a year at the median, or $7,716 a month: $71,760 in pay plus about $20,834 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do executive assistants earn in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $71,760 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $42,160, the 90th $84,940, and the middle half earned $58,240 to $78,380.
Is the Eastern Washington nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Washington for executive assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $71,760 against $79,250 statewide. The next area up in Washington is Yakima at $73,190, the next down Spokane-Spokane Valley at $71,550.
How many executive assistants work in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 320 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Washington total of 11,560. 5 areas in Washington have more; the closest in size is Kennewick-Richland, with about 340.
Does an executive assistant cost more than a sales development representative in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area?
Yes: $480 a year more at the median. The medians are $71,760 and $71,280.
What does a remote executive assistant cost compared with the Eastern Washington 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 $92,594 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 2026-11-12.