Executive Assistant salary in the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area
No other area in Colorado pays executive assistants less than the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area. The median is $54,950 a year1, 16.6% below the Colorado statewide median of $65,850 and 28.3% below the US median of $76,590. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#448 of 509). About 340 executive assistants work here, 3% of the Colorado total.
BLS occupation 43-6011, area Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area against Colorado and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Colorado (Nonmetro) | $40,130 | $54,950 | $78,520 | |
| Colorado | $49,850 | $65,850 | $100,290 | |
| United States | $50,560 | $76,590 | $109,850 |
The middle half of executive assistants in the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area earns $49,840–$64,260. The top tenth earns $78,520 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.2 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $14,420 wide, against $24,700 across Colorado and $33,000 nationally: employers in the Southwest Colorado 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 | $40,130 | $3,344 | $19.29 | $51,781 |
| 25th percentile | $49,840 | $4,153 | $23.96 | $64,310 |
| Median | $54,950 | $4,579 | $26.42 | $70,903 |
| 75th percentile | $64,260 | $5,355 | $30.89 | $82,916 |
| 90th percentile | $78,520 | $6,543 | $37.75 | $101,316 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $9,310 over the median, the 25th only $5,110 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $12,013 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 Southwest Colorado nonmetro area, and the Colorado statewide median of $65,850 falls there too. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local executive assistants earn.
What a hire really costs in the Southwest Colorado 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 $15,953 to the $54,950 median and brings it to $70,903 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 4.9 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 5.9 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 Southwest Colorado nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area, this one ranks #8 by median pay, between marketing specialists ($64,680) and HR assistants ($49,990). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,080.
| Role | Median | vs executive assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +20.6% | 1,030 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +17.7% | 610 | |
| Executive Assistant | this role | 340 | |
| HR Assistant | -9.0% | 40 | |
| Bookkeeper | -10.3% | 1,250 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the lowest paid of the 17 roles we track in the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area (-28.3%); sales development representatives come first (+12.0%). The typical role here is at -2.7%, so, measured against the US, executive assistants cost less in the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Executive assistants hold 3.5% of the jobs in the 15 of these roles with a job count in the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area, 3.3% across Colorado and 3.0% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Colorado
Across the 10 areas of Colorado with data for this job, the median runs from $54,950 in the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area to $79,170 in Boulder, a gap of $24,220 a year. All 3 areas in Colorado with more executive assistants than the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area also pay more, among them Denver-Aurora, CO ($68,020) and Boulder, CO ($79,170).
| Area | Median | vs the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, CO | +17.8% | n/a | |
| Greeley, CO | +15.4% | 250 | |
| Pueblo, CO | +14.0% | 240 | |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | +11.3% | 620 | |
| Grand Junction, CO | +7.9% | 190 | |
| Eastern and Southern Colorado (Nonmetro) | +4.3% | 240 | |
| Southwest Colorado (Nonmetro) | this area | 340 |
the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area is #157 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 Colorado, Panama City-Panama City Beach and Owensboro pay just above the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area and Pinehurst-Southern Pines and Houma-Bayou Cane just below. All four are within $90 a year of the median in the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many executive assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +45.8% | 340 | jobs | |
| Topeka, KS | +15.2% | 340 | jobs | |
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | +10.0% | 340 | jobs | |
| Owensboro, KY | +0.1% | 40 | pay | |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | +0.1% | 140 | pay | |
| Southwest Colorado (Nonmetro) | this area | 340 | ||
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | -0.1% | n/a | pay | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | -0.2% | 340 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in Southwest Colorado (Nonmetro)?
About $70,903 a year at the median, or $5,909 a month: $54,950 in pay plus about $15,953 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do executive assistants earn in the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $54,950 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $40,130, the 90th $78,520, and the middle half earned $49,840 to $64,260.
Is the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area the cheapest area in Colorado for executive assistants?
Yes. Its median of $54,950 is the lowest of 10 areas in Colorado. The Eastern and Southern Colorado nonmetro area is next at $57,320.
How many executive assistants work in the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 340 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Colorado total of 10,340. 3 areas in Colorado have more; the closest in size is Fort Collins-Loveland, with about 620.
Does an executive assistant cost more than an HR assistant in the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area?
Yes: $4,960 a year more at the median. The medians are $54,950 and $49,990.
What does a remote executive assistant cost compared with the Southwest Colorado 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 $70,903 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.