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Best states for an administrative assistant
Quoted expert
Dr. Mike Peterson Ph.D.
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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for administrative assistants? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for administrative assistant jobs.This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for administrative assistant jobs.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for administrative assistants.Alaska is the best state, and Monterey is the city with the highest pay for administrative assistants.
10 best states for administrative assistants in 2025
1. Alaska
Total administrative assistant jobs: 152 Average annual salary: $42,135 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Location Quotient: 1.98
2. Massachusetts
Total administrative assistant jobs: 1,144 Average annual salary: $41,809 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
3. Washington
Total administrative assistant jobs: 817 Average annual salary: $39,890 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
4. Connecticut
Total administrative assistant jobs: 337 Average annual salary: $40,618 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
5. District of Columbia
Total administrative assistant jobs: 273 Average annual salary: $42,713 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Location Quotient: 1.77
6. New York
Total administrative assistant jobs: 2,056 Average annual salary: $39,763 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Location Quotient: 1.74
7. California
Total administrative assistant jobs: 2,842 Average annual salary: $43,597 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
8. Oregon
Total administrative assistant jobs: 410 Average annual salary: $38,223 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
9. Minnesota
Total administrative assistant jobs: 599 Average annual salary: $37,721 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
10. Wisconsin
Total administrative assistant jobs: 576 Average annual salary: $34,270 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
Administrative assistant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an administrative assistant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an administrative assistant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $42,135 | $35,000 | 739,795 | 152 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $41,809 | $32,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,144 |
| 3 | Washington | $39,890 | $31,000 | 7,405,743 | 817 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $40,618 | $30,000 | 3,588,184 | 337 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $42,713 | $31,000 | 693,972 | 273 |
| 6 | New York | $39,763 | $30,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,056 |
| 7 | California | $43,597 | $31,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,842 |
| 8 | Oregon | $38,223 | $29,000 | 4,142,776 | 410 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $37,721 | $29,000 | 5,576,606 | 599 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $34,270 | $26,000 | 5,795,483 | 576 |
| 11 | Nevada | $35,493 | $26,000 | 2,998,039 | 182 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $38,166 | $28,000 | 9,005,644 | 667 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $39,533 | $30,000 | 1,427,538 | 90 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $34,284 | $27,000 | 755,393 | 74 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $35,411 | $27,000 | 1,059,639 | 92 |
| 16 | Maryland | $37,069 | $27,000 | 6,052,177 | 640 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $33,473 | $25,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,140 |
| 18 | Colorado | $35,578 | $27,000 | 5,607,154 | 567 |
| 19 | Iowa | $32,788 | $25,000 | 3,145,711 | 334 |
| 20 | Michigan | $33,658 | $25,000 | 9,962,311 | 636 |
| 21 | Utah | $32,744 | $25,000 | 3,101,833 | 318 |
| 22 | Maine | $33,711 | $26,000 | 1,335,907 | 115 |
| 23 | Illinois | $35,228 | $27,000 | 12,802,023 | 891 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $32,737 | $25,000 | 579,315 | 59 |
| 25 | Arizona | $33,015 | $24,000 | 7,016,270 | 535 |
| 26 | Virginia | $33,983 | $25,000 | 8,470,020 | 943 |
| 27 | Delaware | $34,778 | $25,000 | 961,939 | 94 |
| 28 | Ohio | $32,456 | $24,000 | 11,658,609 | 808 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $33,592 | $26,000 | 1,342,795 | 125 |
| 30 | Vermont | $33,793 | $26,000 | 623,657 | 50 |
| 31 | Florida | $30,708 | $22,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,743 |
| 32 | Idaho | $30,963 | $24,000 | 1,716,943 | 174 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $31,301 | $24,000 | 1,920,076 | 197 |
| 34 | Montana | $30,704 | $24,000 | 1,050,493 | 158 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $31,531 | $23,000 | 10,273,419 | 736 |
| 36 | Texas | $31,248 | $22,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,778 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $30,371 | $23,000 | 6,715,984 | 461 |
| 38 | Missouri | $31,706 | $24,000 | 6,113,532 | 382 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $30,151 | $22,000 | 5,024,369 | 359 |
| 40 | Indiana | $30,116 | $23,000 | 6,666,818 | 492 |
| 41 | Kansas | $30,996 | $23,000 | 2,913,123 | 165 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $29,295 | $22,000 | 1,815,857 | 101 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $29,772 | $22,000 | 4,454,189 | 258 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $29,837 | $23,000 | 869,666 | 61 |
| 45 | Alabama | $29,614 | $22,000 | 4,874,747 | 228 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $29,635 | $21,000 | 2,088,070 | 125 |
| 47 | Georgia | $28,815 | $21,000 | 10,429,379 | 711 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $28,768 | $21,000 | 3,930,864 | 191 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $26,792 | $19,000 | 4,684,333 | 178 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $26,677 | $20,000 | 3,004,279 | 136 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $26,864 | $19,000 | 2,984,100 | 114 |
Highest paying states for administrative assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. Administrative Assistant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $42,135 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $41,809 |
| 3 | Washington | $39,890 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $40,618 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $42,713 |
| 6 | New York | $39,763 |
| 7 | California | $43,597 |
| 8 | Oregon | $38,223 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $37,721 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $34,270 |
| 11 | Nevada | $35,493 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $38,166 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $39,533 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $34,284 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $35,411 |
| 16 | Maryland | $37,069 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $33,473 |
| 18 | Colorado | $35,578 |
| 19 | Iowa | $32,788 |
| 20 | Michigan | $33,658 |
| 21 | Utah | $32,744 |
| 22 | Maine | $33,711 |
| 23 | Illinois | $35,228 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $32,737 |
| 25 | Arizona | $33,015 |
| 26 | Virginia | $33,983 |
| 27 | Delaware | $34,778 |
| 28 | Ohio | $32,456 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $33,592 |
| 30 | Vermont | $33,793 |
| 31 | Florida | $30,708 |
| 32 | Idaho | $30,963 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $31,301 |
| 34 | Montana | $30,704 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $31,531 |
| 36 | Texas | $31,248 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $30,371 |
| 38 | Missouri | $31,706 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $30,151 |
| 40 | Indiana | $30,116 |
| 41 | Kansas | $30,996 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $29,295 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $29,772 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $29,837 |
| 45 | Alabama | $29,614 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $29,635 |
| 47 | Georgia | $28,815 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $28,768 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $26,792 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $26,677 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $26,864 |
Expert opinions on the best states for administrative assistants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for administrative assistants to find work opportunities?
Dr. Mike Peterson Ph.D.
Department Chair and Associate Professor of English, Dixie State University
The great thing about a degree in English is that graduates can find work anywhere: teaching, freelance writing, technical writing, content production, editing, reporting-you name it. There are ample jobs in small towns and large cities in all of these areas. English degrees are also highly valued in a variety of jobs-such as sales, public relations, marketing, and paralegal work-because employers know these applicants, from day one, will have strong skills in writing, communication, critical thinking, and creative thinking.
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Updated January 8, 2025