Cost of hiring in Asheville, NC
BLS counts about 18,810 people in these 17 roles in Asheville1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($97,470 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($36,000), and Medical Administrative Assistant is the largest job, with about 3,000 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Asheville
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Entry Specialist | -2.3% | 130 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -3.2% | 140 | |
| Bookkeeper | -3.6% | 2,200 | |
| Accountant | -3.9% | 1,540 | |
| Project Coordinator | -4.7% | 950 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -5.3% | 750 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -6.8% | 120 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -6.9% | 1,550 | |
| Recruiter | -7.5% | 910 | |
| HR Assistant | -8.4% | 110 | |
| Paralegal | -8.6% | 590 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -9.6% | 3,000 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -12.9% | 2,850 | |
| Office Manager | -13.8% | 1,380 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -17.4% | 1,490 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -19.0% | 850 | |
| Executive Assistant | -22.4% | 250 |
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 $41,520 median for medical administrative assistants, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $53,574 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Asheville against the US
Asheville pays below the US median for all 17 roles. The gap is smallest for data entry specialists (-2.3%) and e-commerce order specialists (-3.2%) and largest for executive assistants (-22.4%). The middle gap across all 17 is -7.5%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for accountants, #116 of 521 areas by median pay; its lowest is for executive assistants, #370 of 509.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Asheville has more medical administrative assistants (15.9% of these jobs here, against 6.1% nationally) and e-commerce order specialists (0.7% against 0.5%), and fewer executive assistants (1.3% against 2.9%) and payroll specialists (0.6% against 1.0%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Provo-Orem, UT is nearest, at -7.5%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | -7.4% | 15 | 3,190 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | -7.5% | 16 | 17,770 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | -7.5% | 17 | 8,730 |
| Provo-Orem, UT | -7.5% | 16 | 37,730 |
| Asheville, NC | -7.5% (this area) | 17 | 18,810 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | -7.6% | 16 | 32,120 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Asheville span $33,580–$125,790, the widest band (3.7×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $36,980–$56,680. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 12 of 17 roles, paralegals most ($44,740–$101,500 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, marketing specialists, recruiters and 2 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($69,070 against a $57,840 median for sales development representatives).
Asheville against North Carolina
Against North Carolina as a whole, Asheville pays more for 4 of 17 roles, led by bookkeepers (+2.0%) and data entry specialists (+1.9%), and less for 12, most of all marketing specialists (-18.7%). Its best rank within North Carolina is #4 of 18 areas, for accountants.
Other areas in North Carolina
By jobs in these roles, Asheville is #9 of 18 areas in North Carolina. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Greensboro-High Point to Burlington.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 37,170 | 17 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 26,040 | 17 |
| Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro) | 21,670 | 17 |
| Western North Carolina (Nonmetro) | 21,250 | 17 |
| Wilmington, NC | 19,910 | 17 |
| Central North Carolina (Nonmetro) | 17,340 | 17 |
| Hickory-Lenoir, NC | 12,690 | 17 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 11,520 | 17 |
| Greenville, NC | 7,660 | 16 |
| Burlington, NC | 5,960 | 15 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Asheville?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $97,470 a year, about $125,768 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $36,000.
Is hiring in Asheville cheaper than the US median?
Yes, for every role we track: all 17 medians are below the US figure, the furthest for executive assistants (-22.4%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.