Executive Assistant salary in the Southwest New York nonmetro area
Hiring an executive assistant costs less in the Southwest New York nonmetro area than in New York or the country as a whole. The median is $71,230 a year1: 11.7% below the New York statewide median of $80,640 and 7.0% below the US median of $76,590. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#114 of 509). About 740 executive assistants work here.
BLS occupation 43-6011, area Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Southwest New York nonmetro area against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest New York (Nonmetro) | $53,360 | $71,230 | $101,730 | |
| New York | $61,420 | $80,640 | $122,440 | |
| United States | $50,560 | $76,590 | $109,850 |
The middle half of executive assistants in the Southwest New York nonmetro area earns $61,340–$81,820. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $101,730, only 1.9 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 $20,480 wide, against $31,930 across New York and $33,000 nationally: employers in the Southwest New York 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 | $53,360 | $4,447 | $25.65 | $68,852 |
| 25th percentile | $61,340 | $5,112 | $29.49 | $79,148 |
| Median | $71,230 | $5,936 | $34.25 | $91,910 |
| 75th percentile | $81,820 | $6,818 | $39.34 | $105,574 |
| 90th percentile | $101,730 | $8,478 | $48.91 | $131,265 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $10,590 a year in pay and about $13,665 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $9,890 in pay. 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 Southwest New York nonmetro area, and the New York statewide median of $80,640 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Southwest New York 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 $20,680 to the $71,230 median and brings it to $91,910 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 $91,910 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 the Southwest New York nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Southwest New York nonmetro area, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between recruiters ($73,910) and office managers ($64,750). Project Coordinator is the highest at $106,970.
| Role | Median | vs executive assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +10.1% | 1,100 | |
| Recruiter | +3.8% | 670 | |
| Executive Assistant | this role | 740 | |
| Office Manager | -9.1% | 1,150 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -10.5% | 610 |
Measured against the US median, executive assistants rank #11 of the 17 roles we track in the Southwest New York nonmetro area (-7.0%), between office managers (-6.8%) and HR assistants (-8.3%). The typical role here is at -6.2%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Executive assistants hold 5.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Southwest New York nonmetro area, 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 6 areas in New York with more executive assistants than the Southwest New York nonmetro area also pay more, among them New York-Newark, NY-NJ ($83,840) and Albany-Schenectady, NY ($74,730).
| Area | Median | vs the Southwest New York nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | +4.0% | 180 | |
| Binghamton, NY | +1.4% | 730 | |
| Rochester, NY | +1.4% | 2,830 | |
| Southwest New York (Nonmetro) | this area | 740 | |
| Capital/Northern New York (Nonmetro) | -0.3% | 550 | |
| Ithaca, NY | -2.7% | 590 | |
| Central East New York (Nonmetro) | -5.1% | 720 |
the Southwest New York nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Southwest New York nonmetro area is #78 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, Manchester-Nashua and Manhattan pay just above the Southwest New York nonmetro area and Greenville-Anderson and Springfield just below. All four are within $170 a year of the median in the Southwest New York nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many executive assistants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Southwest New York nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | +15.5% | 740 | jobs | |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | +11.6% | 720 | jobs | |
| Manhattan, KS | +0.1% | 100 | pay | |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | +0.0% | 350 | pay | |
| Southwest New York (Nonmetro) | this area | 740 | ||
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | -0.1% | 680 | pay | |
| Springfield, MA | -0.2% | 590 | pay | |
| Tallahassee, FL | -19.6% | 730 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in Southwest New York (Nonmetro)?
About $91,910 a year at the median, or $7,659 a month: $71,230 in pay plus about $20,680 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do executive assistants earn in the Southwest New York nonmetro area?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $71,230 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $53,360, the 90th $101,730, and the middle half earned $61,340 to $81,820.
Is the Southwest New York nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of New York for executive assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $71,230 against $80,640 statewide. The next area up in New York is Rochester at $72,210, the next down the Capital/Northern New York nonmetro area at $71,040.
How many executive assistants work in the Southwest New York nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 740 in the May 2025 survey. 6 areas in New York have more; the closest in size is Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, with about 1,710.
Does an executive assistant cost more than an office manager in the Southwest New York nonmetro area?
Yes: $6,480 a year more at the median. The medians are $71,230 and $64,750.
What does a remote executive assistant cost compared with the Southwest New York 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 $91,910 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.