Cost of hiring in Olympia-Lacey, WA
BLS counts about 13,500 people in these 17 roles in Olympia-Lacey1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($103,000 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($42,910), and Administrative Assistant is the largest job, with about 2,110 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Olympia-Lacey
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Entry Specialist | +25.0% | 140 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +15.2% | 320 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +14.3% | 2,110 | |
| Recruiter | +14.2% | 1,410 | |
| Paralegal | +13.1% | 570 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +12.9% | 80 | |
| Accountant | +12.9% | 1,330 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | +12.9% | 1,070 | |
| Office Manager | +12.6% | 1,210 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +10.9% | 1,430 | |
| Bookkeeper | +9.7% | 1,050 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +7.4% | 560 | |
| Executive Assistant | +3.8% | 720 | |
| HR Assistant | +3.2% | 70 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +1.5% | 620 | |
| Project Coordinator | +0.7% | 810 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -5.1% | n/a |
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 $54,320 median for administrative assistants, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $70,090 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Olympia-Lacey against the US
Olympia-Lacey pays above the US median for 15 of the 17 roles, most of all for data entry specialists (+25.0%) and medical administrative assistants (+15.2%), and below it only for e-commerce order specialists (-5.1%). For project coordinators it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is +12.6%: for most of these roles, hiring costs more here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for data entry specialists, #6 of 394 areas by median pay; its lowest is for e-commerce order specialists, #154 of 287.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Olympia-Lacey has more executive assistants (5.3% of these jobs here, against 2.9% nationally) and recruiters (10.4% against 5.8%), and fewer medical administrative assistants (2.4% against 6.1%) and sales development representatives (4.1% against 8.0%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Sacramento-Roseville, CA is nearest, at +13.0%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | +13.5% | 17 | 23,510 |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | +13.0% | 17 | 97,010 |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | +12.6% (this area) | 17 | 13,500 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | +12.0% | 17 | 47,420 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +11.9% | 17 | 610,130 |
| Washington-Arlington, DC-VA | +11.6% | 17 | 339,230 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Olympia-Lacey span $42,880–$144,100, the widest band (3.4×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $45,730–$68,270. 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 marketing specialists and sales development representatives: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($92,130 against a $79,910 median for marketing specialists).
Olympia-Lacey against Washington
Against Washington as a whole, Olympia-Lacey pays more for 3 of 17 roles, led by data entry specialists (+8.8%) and recruiters (+2.5%), and less for 13, most of all project coordinators (-17.0%). Its best rank within Washington is #2 of 13 areas, for accountants.
Other areas in Washington
By jobs in these roles, Olympia-Lacey is #3 of 13 areas in Washington. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Seattle-Tacoma to Wenatchee-East Wenatchee.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | 209,690 | 17 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 23,440 | 17 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | 11,040 | 16 |
| Western Washington (Nonmetro) | 10,980 | 16 |
| Bellingham, WA | 8,450 | 16 |
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | 8,250 | 16 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | 7,230 | 15 |
| Yakima, WA | 7,020 | 15 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 4,390 | 15 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 4,040 | 15 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Olympia-Lacey?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $103,000 a year, about $132,903 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $42,910.
Is hiring in Olympia-Lacey cheaper than the US median?
For one of the 17 roles, yes: e-commerce order specialists (-5.1%). 15 pay more than the US median, led by data entry specialists (+25.0%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.