Cost of hiring in Albany-Schenectady, NY
BLS counts about 51,930 people in these 17 roles in Albany-Schenectady1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($109,850 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($39,790), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 8,290 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Albany-Schenectady
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +7.4% | 3,240 | |
| Bookkeeper | +5.7% | 4,170 | |
| Office Manager | +5.6% | 4,050 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | +4.7% | 2,650 | |
| HR Assistant | +4.1% | 780 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +3.8% | 7,690 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +3.2% | 190 | |
| Recruiter | +1.4% | 2,970 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +1.3% | 8,290 | |
| Accountant | +1.2% | 4,680 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -1.7% | 2,240 | |
| Executive Assistant | -2.4% | 3,400 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -2.8% | 3,060 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -3.3% | 570 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -3.3% | 2,160 | |
| Paralegal | -3.5% | 1,340 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -3.6% | 450 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $45,350 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $58,516 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Albany-Schenectady against the US
Albany-Schenectady pays above the US median for 10 of the 17 roles, most of all for project coordinators (+7.4%) and bookkeepers (+5.7%), and below it for 7, furthest for data entry specialists (-3.6%). The middle gap across all 17 is +1.3%: for most of these roles, hiring costs more here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for project coordinators, #24 of 518 areas by median pay; its lowest is for data entry specialists, #171 of 394.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Albany-Schenectady has more HR assistants (1.5% of these jobs here, against 0.6% nationally) and executive assistants (6.5% against 2.9%), and fewer medical administrative assistants (4.3% against 6.1%) and marketing specialists (4.2% against 5.7%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Fresno, CA is nearest, at +1.3%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, CO | +1.6% | 17 | 31,880 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | +1.3% | 14 | 5,890 |
| Fresno, CA | +1.3% | 17 | 35,190 |
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | +1.3% (this area) | 17 | 51,930 |
| Lexington Park, MD | +1.2% | 14 | 6,240 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | +1.2% | 17 | 19,610 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Albany-Schenectady span $39,720–$145,610, the widest band (3.7×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $37,800–$51,010. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 16 of 17 roles, paralegals most ($44,740–$101,500 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, marketing specialists and accountants: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($80,750 against a $68,050 median for sales development representatives).
Albany-Schenectady against New York
Against New York as a whole, Albany-Schenectady pays about the same or less for all 17 roles, and less for 15, most of all sales development representatives (-26.2%). Its best rank within New York is #2 of 16 areas, for administrative assistants.
Other areas in New York
By jobs in these roles, Albany-Schenectady is #4 of 16 areas in New York. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from New York-Newark to Binghamton.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | 1,091,890 | 17 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 56,930 | 17 |
| Rochester, NY | 53,600 | 17 |
| Syracuse, NY | 32,030 | 17 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | 25,620 | 17 |
| Southwest New York (Nonmetro) | 14,700 | 17 |
| Central East New York (Nonmetro) | 13,570 | 17 |
| Capital/Northern New York (Nonmetro) | 11,720 | 17 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | 11,350 | 17 |
| Binghamton, NY | 9,350 | 17 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Albany-Schenectady?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $109,850 a year, about $141,742 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $39,790.
Is hiring in Albany-Schenectady cheaper than the US median?
For 7 of the 17 roles, yes, most of all data entry specialists (-3.6%). 10 pay more than the US median, led by project coordinators (+7.4%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.