Executive Assistant salary in Salem, OR
Salem is a lower-cost market for executive assistants: the median of $70,320 a year1 is 6.8% below the Oregon statewide median of $75,480, and 8.2% below the US median of $76,590. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#124 of 509). About 800 executive assistants work here, 13% of the Oregon total.
BLS occupation 43-6011, area Salem, OR. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Salem against Oregon and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | $54,170 | $70,320 | $95,760 | |
| Oregon | $56,470 | $75,480 | $102,000 | |
| United States | $50,560 | $76,590 | $109,850 |
The middle half of executive assistants in Salem earns $61,020–$81,080. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $95,760, 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 $20,060 wide, against $22,930 across Oregon and $33,000 nationally: employers in Salem 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 | $54,170 | $4,514 | $26.04 | $69,897 |
| 25th percentile | $61,020 | $5,085 | $29.34 | $78,735 |
| Median | $70,320 | $5,860 | $33.81 | $90,735 |
| 75th percentile | $81,080 | $6,757 | $38.98 | $104,619 |
| 90th percentile | $95,760 | $7,980 | $46.04 | $123,561 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $9,300 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $10,760, or about $13,884 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 Salem, and the Oregon statewide median of $75,480 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Salem
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 $20,415 to the $70,320 median and brings it to $90,735 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 $90,735 a local hire costs here, you could cover about 6.3 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 Salem
Of the 17 roles we track in Salem, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between office managers ($75,990) and marketing specialists ($64,160). Project Coordinator is the highest at $102,730.
| Role | Median | vs executive assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | +14.1% | 1,070 | |
| Office Manager | +8.1% | 1,190 | |
| Executive Assistant | this role | 800 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -8.8% | 590 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -11.3% | 710 |
Measured against the US median, executive assistants rank #14 of the 17 roles we track in Salem (-8.2%), between project coordinators (+0.4%) and paralegals (-9.0%). The typical role here is at +5.7%, so, measured against the US, executive assistants cost less in Salem than the area's general pay level would suggest. Executive assistants hold 4.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Salem, 3.1% across Oregon and 2.9% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Oregon
Across the 11 areas of Oregon with data for this job, the median runs from $62,330 in Grants Pass to $80,960 in Corvallis, a gap of $18,630 a year. The one area in Oregon with more executive assistants, Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA ($78,750), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Salem | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corvallis, OR | +15.1% | 140 | |
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | +12.0% | 3,880 | |
| Salem, OR | this area | 800 | |
| Central Oregon (Nonmetro) | -0.5% | 110 | |
| Albany, OR | -0.6% | 90 | |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | -0.9% | 490 | |
| Bend, OR | -1.4% | 310 |
Salem against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Salem is #74 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 Oregon, St. Cloud and Harrisburg-Carlisle pay just above Salem and Green Bay and Odessa just below. All four are within $300 a year of the median in Salem. Of the three markets with about as many executive assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Salem | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | +14.6% | 800 | jobs | |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | +0.2% | 700 | pay | |
| St. Cloud, MN | +0.1% | 190 | pay | |
| Salem, OR | this area | 800 | ||
| Green Bay, WI | -0.4% | 280 | pay | |
| Odessa, TX | -0.4% | 110 | pay | |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | -4.0% | 810 | jobs | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | -28.5% | 790 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in Salem, OR?
About $90,735 a year at the median, or $7,561 a month: $70,320 in pay plus about $20,415 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for executive assistants in Salem?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $70,320 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $54,170, the 90th $95,760, and the middle half earned $61,020 to $81,080.
Is Salem cheaper than the rest of Oregon for executive assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $70,320 against $75,480 statewide. The next area up in Oregon is Portland-Vancouver at $78,750, the next down the Central Oregon nonmetro area at $69,990.
How many executive assistants work in Salem?
BLS counts about 800 in the May 2025 survey. That is 13% of the Oregon total of 6,000. Only Portland-Vancouver has more in Oregon.
Does an executive assistant cost more than a marketing specialist in Salem?
Yes: $6,160 a year more at the median. The medians are $70,320 and $64,160.
What does a remote executive assistant cost compared with Salem?
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 $90,735 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.