Cost of hiring in Trenton-Princeton, NJ
BLS counts about 25,810 people in these 17 roles in Trenton-Princeton1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($113,750 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($40,550), and Administrative Assistant is the largest job, with about 3,680 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Trenton-Princeton
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +19.0% | 2,890 | |
| Paralegal | +16.5% | 790 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +15.4% | 100 | |
| Bookkeeper | +14.5% | 1,470 | |
| Office Manager | +14.3% | 2,770 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +13.7% | 3,680 | |
| Project Coordinator | +11.2% | 1,680 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +10.7% | 1,620 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +7.1% | 920 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | +6.7% | 1,980 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +6.3% | 3,140 | |
| Recruiter | +5.8% | 1,400 | |
| Executive Assistant | +5.4% | 1,250 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +4.3% | 1,140 | |
| HR Assistant | +3.4% | 270 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -1.0% | 500 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -5.8% | 210 |
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 $54,050 median for administrative assistants, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $69,742 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Trenton-Princeton against the US
Trenton-Princeton pays above the US median for 15 of the 17 roles, most of all for accountants (+19.0%) and paralegals (+16.5%), and below it for 2, furthest for payroll specialists (-5.8%). The middle gap across all 17 is +7.1%: for most of these roles, hiring costs more here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for office managers, #9 of 519 areas by median pay; its lowest is for payroll specialists, #222 of 486.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Trenton-Princeton has more data entry specialists (1.9% of these jobs here, against 0.8% nationally) and HR assistants (1.0% against 0.6%), and fewer medical administrative assistants (3.6% against 6.1%) and bookkeepers (5.7% against 8.7%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Kennewick-Richland, WA is nearest, at +7.1%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | +8.0% | 17 | 27,360 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | +7.3% | 15 | 6,080 |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | +7.1% | 17 | 63,230 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +7.1% | 16 | 11,040 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | +7.1% (this area) | 17 | 25,810 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | +6.3% | 17 | 9,830 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Trenton-Princeton span $44,010–$161,490, the widest band (3.7×); HR assistants the narrowest, $44,630–$65,820. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 9 of 17 roles, marketing specialists most ($43,390–$155,480 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, marketing specialists, e-commerce order specialists and 1 more role: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($90,430 against a $77,490 median for sales development representatives).
Trenton-Princeton against New Jersey
Against New Jersey as a whole, Trenton-Princeton pays more for 5 of 17 roles, led by e-commerce order specialists (+15.2%) and administrative assistants (+7.5%), and less for 9, most of all executive assistants (-9.9%). It has the highest median in New Jersey for project coordinators, accountants and marketing specialists and 11 more roles.
Other areas in New Jersey
By jobs in these roles, Trenton-Princeton is #1 of 3 areas in New Jersey. The table shows the other 2.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 14,740 | 17 |
| Vineland, NJ | 4,840 | 16 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Trenton-Princeton?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $113,750 a year, about $146,774 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $40,550.
Is hiring in Trenton-Princeton cheaper than the US median?
For 2 of the 17 roles, yes, most of all payroll specialists (-5.8%). 15 pay more than the US median, led by accountants (+19.0%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.