Executive Assistant salary in Rochester, NY
Rochester is a lower-cost market for executive assistants: the median of $72,210 a year1 is 10.5% below the New York statewide median of $80,640, and 5.7% below the US median of $76,590. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#103 of 509). About 2,830 executive assistants work here, 3% of the New York total.
BLS occupation 43-6011, area Rochester, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Rochester against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, NY | $55,180 | $72,210 | $99,350 | |
| New York | $61,420 | $80,640 | $122,440 | |
| United States | $50,560 | $76,590 | $109,850 |
The middle half of executive assistants in Rochester earns $61,500–$82,640. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $99,350, only 1.8 times the bottom tenth, against 2.2 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $21,140 wide, against $31,930 across New York and $33,000 nationally: employers in Rochester 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 | $55,180 | $4,598 | $26.53 | $71,200 |
| 25th percentile | $61,500 | $5,125 | $29.57 | $79,355 |
| Median | $72,210 | $6,018 | $34.72 | $93,174 |
| 75th percentile | $82,640 | $6,887 | $39.73 | $106,632 |
| 90th percentile | $99,350 | $8,279 | $47.76 | $128,194 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $10,710 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $10,430, or about $13,458 once benefits are added. 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 Rochester, and the New York statewide median of $80,640 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Rochester
At the $72,210 median, a local hire costs about $93,174 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $20,964 here. 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 $93,174 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 Rochester
Of the 17 roles we track in Rochester, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between recruiters ($76,590) and office managers ($69,450). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,520.
| Role | Median | vs executive assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +6.9% | 2,550 | |
| Recruiter | +6.1% | 2,460 | |
| Executive Assistant | this role | 2,830 | |
| Office Manager | -3.8% | 4,220 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -6.7% | 3,510 |
Measured against the US median, executive assistants rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in Rochester (-5.7%), between data entry specialists (-4.7%) and paralegals (-9.0%). The typical role here is at -2.0%, so, measured against the US, executive assistants cost less in Rochester than the area's general pay level would suggest. Executive assistants hold 5.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Rochester, 8.1% across New York and 2.9% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in New York
Across the 16 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $66,990 in Utica-Rome to $83,840 in New York-Newark, a gap of $16,850 a year. All 3 areas in New York with more executive assistants than Rochester also pay more, among them New York-Newark, NY-NJ ($83,840) and Albany-Schenectady, NY ($74,730).
| Area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | +2.8% | 1,710 | |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | +2.6% | 180 | |
| Binghamton, NY | +0.0% | 730 | |
| Rochester, NY | this area | 2,830 | |
| Southwest New York (Nonmetro) | -1.4% | 740 | |
| Capital/Northern New York (Nonmetro) | -1.6% | 550 | |
| Ithaca, NY | -4.0% | 590 |
Rochester against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Rochester is #31 of 506 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside New York, Pittsfield and Vineland pay just above Rochester and Atlanta-Sandy Springs and Kenosha just below. All four are within $600 a year of the median in Rochester. Of the three markets with about as many executive assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | +11.3% | 2,750 | jobs | |
| Vineland, NJ | +0.8% | 80 | pay | |
| Pittsfield, MA | +0.8% | 150 | pay | |
| Rochester, NY | this area | 2,830 | ||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA | -0.2% | 10,060 | pay | |
| Kenosha, WI | -0.2% | 80 | pay | |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | -10.7% | 2,940 | jobs | |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | -12.1% | 2,880 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in Rochester, NY?
About $93,174 a year at the median, or $7,765 a month: $72,210 in pay plus about $20,964 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for executive assistants in Rochester?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $72,210 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $55,180, the 90th $99,350, and the middle half earned $61,500 to $82,640.
Is Rochester cheaper than the rest of New York for executive assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $72,210 against $80,640 statewide. The next area up in New York is Binghamton at $72,230, the next down the Southwest New York nonmetro area at $71,230.
How many executive assistants work in Rochester?
BLS counts about 2,830 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the New York total of 88,890. 3 areas in New York have more; the closest in size is Buffalo-Cheektowaga, with about 2,870.
Does an executive assistant cost more than an office manager in Rochester?
Yes: $2,760 a year more at the median. The medians are $72,210 and $69,450.
What does a remote executive assistant cost compared with Rochester?
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 $93,174 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.