Cost of hiring in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
BLS counts about 3,190 people in these 15 roles in Watertown-Fort Drum1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($104,110 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($36,160), and Administrative Assistant is the largest job, with about 500 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Watertown-Fort Drum
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +1.7% | 140 | |
| HR Assistant | +0.7% | 40 | |
| Recruiter | -2.7% | 180 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -3.0% | 500 | |
| Executive Assistant | -3.3% | 180 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -4.9% | 230 | |
| Bookkeeper | -7.0% | 390 | |
| Accountant | -7.4% | 220 | |
| Paralegal | -10.7% | 50 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -11.0% | 420 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -11.4% | 40 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -12.5% | 150 | |
| Office Manager | -12.6% | 270 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -17.0% | 260 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -24.2% | 120 |
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 $46,120 median for administrative assistants, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $59,510 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Watertown-Fort Drum against the US
Watertown-Fort Drum pays above the US median for only one of the 15 roles, project coordinators (+1.7%), and below it for 13, furthest for marketing specialists (-24.2%). For HR assistants it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 15 is -7.4%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for project coordinators, #60 of 518 areas by median pay; its lowest is for medical administrative assistants, #398 of 516.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Watertown-Fort Drum has more HR assistants (1.3% of these jobs here, against 0.6% nationally) and executive assistants (5.6% against 2.9%), and fewer sales development representatives (4.7% against 8.0%) and paralegals (1.6% against 2.5%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL is nearest, at -7.4%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Wayne, IN | -7.3% | 17 | 18,060 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | -7.4% | 17 | 25,310 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | -7.4% (this area) | 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 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Watertown-Fort Drum span $37,830–$121,740, the widest band (3.2×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $36,040–$48,280. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 15 of 15 roles, payroll specialists most ($39,500–$81,350 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, marketing specialists and accountants: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($70,410 against a $61,210 median for sales development representatives).
Watertown-Fort Drum against New York
Against New York as a whole, Watertown-Fort Drum pays less for every one of the 15 roles with a statewide figure. It comes closest for HR assistants (-3.7%) and is furthest below for marketing specialists (-39.4%). It has the lowest median in New York for office managers, bookkeepers and medical administrative assistants and 1 more role.
Other areas in New York
By jobs in these roles, Watertown-Fort Drum is #15 of 16 areas in New York. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie to Elmira.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Kingston, NY | 5,570 | 16 |
| Ithaca, NY | 4,920 | 14 |
| Glens Falls, NY | 4,450 | 15 |
| Elmira, NY | 3,040 | 14 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Of the 15 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $104,110 a year, about $134,335 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $36,160.
Is hiring in Watertown-Fort Drum cheaper than the US median?
For 13 of the 15 roles, yes, most of all marketing specialists (-24.2%). One pays more than the US median: project coordinators (+1.7%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.