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Assistant salary
Average assistant salary
$37,363
Understanding Assistant Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for an Assistant in the United States stands at $37,363 annually. This figure represents an hourly wage of approximately $18. Salaries for assistants can vary significantly based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry in which they work.
Salary by State
Different states offer varying pay scales for assistants. For instance, states with higher living costs tend to provide higher salaries. Understanding these differences can help job seekers target locations where they can maximize their earnings.
Experience Matters
Experience level plays a crucial role in salary determination. Entry-level assistants may expect lower starting salaries, while those with several years of experience can command significantly higher pay. Researching average salaries by experience level can inform your career planning and salary negotiations.
Industry Insights
Assistant roles span diverse industries, and some sectors pay notably more than others. For example, assistants in healthcare or legal fields often earn higher salaries compared to their counterparts in retail or hospitality. Understanding the highest paying industries can guide your career choices.
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Where can an Assistant earn more?
Assistant salaries by experience level
Assistant salary estimates from across the web
Average assistant salary by state
The highest-paying states for assistants are Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont. The lowest average assistant salary states are Mississippi, Idaho, and Utah.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $86,498 | $41.59 |
| 2 | New York | $76,802 | $36.92 |
| 3 | Maine | $68,164 | $32.77 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $66,664 | $32.05 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $69,913 | $33.61 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $57,569 | $27.68 |
| 7 | Vermont | $74,465 | $35.80 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $62,121 | $29.87 |
| 9 | Maryland | $66,629 | $32.03 |
| 10 | Indiana | $52,971 | $25.47 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $70,045 | $33.68 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $66,919 | $32.17 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $54,455 | $26.18 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $83,455 | $40.12 |
| 15 | Ohio | $52,966 | $25.46 |
| 16 | Michigan | $50,672 | $24.36 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $49,448 | $23.77 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $45,095 | $21.68 |
| 19 | Virginia | $60,720 | $29.19 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $37,629 | $18.09 |
| 21 | Florida | $40,902 | $19.66 |
| 22 | Delaware | $54,922 | $26.40 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $46,017 | $22.12 |
| 24 | Illinois | $48,421 | $23.28 |
| 25 | Washington | $32,884 | $15.81 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $35,484 | $17.06 |
| 27 | Iowa | $34,456 | $16.57 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $38,467 | $18.49 |
| 29 | Alaska | $27,904 | $13.42 |
| 30 | Georgia | $40,049 | $19.25 |
| 31 | Missouri | $30,329 | $14.58 |
| 32 | Oregon | $29,978 | $14.41 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $26,447 | $12.71 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $28,551 | $13.73 |
| 35 | Arizona | $26,834 | $12.90 |
| 36 | Montana | $26,312 | $12.65 |
| 37 | Alabama | $34,026 | $16.36 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $25,486 | $12.25 |
| 39 | Colorado | $27,643 | $13.29 |
| 40 | Kansas | $26,041 | $12.52 |
| 41 | California | $31,407 | $15.10 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $25,652 | $12.33 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $25,636 | $12.32 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $26,115 | $12.56 |
| 45 | Texas | $26,162 | $12.58 |
| 46 | Nevada | $26,430 | $12.71 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $24,573 | $11.81 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $24,917 | $11.98 |
| 49 | Idaho | $25,449 | $12.24 |
| 50 | Utah | $25,014 | $12.03 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $24,353 | $11.71 |
Highest paying cities for assistants
The highest-paying cities for assistants are Boston, MA, Washington, DC, and Huntington, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $95,026 | $45.69 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $89,016 | $42.80 |
| 3 | Huntington, NY | $81,410 | $39.14 |
| 4 | Portland, ME | $70,201 | $33.75 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $67,987 | $32.69 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $63,303 | $30.43 |
| 7 | Jacksonville, NC | $56,019 | $26.93 |
| 8 | Cleveland, OH | $54,980 | $26.43 |
| 9 | Huntington, WV | $54,216 | $26.07 |
| 10 | Indianapolis, IN | $52,479 | $25.23 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $48,635 | $23.38 |
| 12 | Knoxville, TN | $47,486 | $22.83 |
| 13 | Jacksonville, FL | $43,129 | $20.74 |
| 14 | Madison, WI | $42,968 | $20.66 |
| 15 | Gainesville, GA | $41,490 | $19.95 |
| 16 | Rochester, MN | $39,143 | $18.82 |
| 17 | Saint Louis, MO | $35,051 | $16.85 |
| 18 | Seattle, WA | $33,007 | $15.87 |
| 19 | San Francisco, CA | $31,815 | $15.30 |
| 20 | Eugene, OR | $30,023 | $14.43 |
Assistants are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Assistant salary details
An assistant's salary ranges from $16,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $82,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an assistant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
| 75th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
| Average | $37,363 | $3,114 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $24,000 | $2,000 | $12 |
| 10th Percentile | $16,000 | $1,333 | $8 |
Which companies pay assistants the most?
Assistant salaries at Latham & Watkins and RWJBarnabas Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average assistant salary at companies like Alston & Bird and Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latham & Watkins | $224,050 | $107.72 |
| 2 | RWJBarnabas Health | $210,408 | $101.16 |
| 3 | Alston & Bird | $207,663 | $99.84 |
| 4 | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | $204,793 | $98.46 |
| 5 | Central Vermont Medical Center | $203,735 | $97.95 |
| 6 | Cedars-Sinai | $203,420 | $97.80 |
| 7 | Northwell Health | $201,008 | $96.64 |
| 8 | Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital | $200,749 | $96.51 |
| 9 | BronxCare Health System | $200,637 | $96.46 |
| 10 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $199,120 | $95.73 |
| 11 | Marshall University | $198,115 | $95.25 |
| 12 | Cooley | $197,654 | $95.03 |
| 13 | Foley & Lardner | $196,376 | $94.41 |
| 14 | Davis Wright Tremaine | $191,331 | $91.99 |
| 15 | Children's Hospital Los Angeles | $190,869 | $91.76 |
| 16 | New York Methodist Hospital | $184,714 | $88.80 |
| 17 | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | $183,607 | $88.27 |
| 18 | Boston Consulting Group | $180,391 | $86.73 |
| 19 | UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital | $178,597 | $85.86 |
| 20 | Children's National Medical Center | $177,288 | $85.23 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Assistant salary by industry
The average assistant salary varies across industries:
- The average assistant salary in the education industry is $39,026, the highest of any industry.
- The average assistant salary in the finance industry is $38,036.
- Assistants in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $29,005, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for assistants
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education | $39,026 | $18.76 |
| 2 | Health Care | $38,036 | $18.29 |
| 3 | Professional | $33,044 | $15.89 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $32,052 | $15.41 |
| 5 | Finance | $31,982 | $15.38 |
| 6 | Government | $31,284 | $15.04 |
| 7 | Retail | $31,085 | $14.94 |
| 8 | Telecommunication | $30,593 | $14.71 |
| 9 | Media | $30,159 | $14.50 |
| 10 | Hospitality | $29,005 | $13.94 |
High paying assistant jobs
Assistant salary trends
The average assistant salary has risen by $6,713 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average assistant earned $30,650 annually, but today, they earn $37,363 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for assistants over the last decade.
Compare assistant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average assistant salary over time
Compare assistant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $37,400 | $17.96 | +3.0% |
| 2025 | $36,200 | $17.43 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $35,200 | $16.94 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $34,200 | $16.46 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $33,500 | $16.10 | +2.6% |
Recently added assistant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exact Sciences | Histology Assistant I | Phoenix, AZ | 06/30/2025 | $34,000 |
| Mittera | Finishing Assistant | Beaver, WI | 06/30/2025 | $33,392 |
| Printpack Holdings | Laminator Assistant | Villa Rica, GA | 06/30/2025 | $36,648 |
| University of Alaska System | Aircraft Ramp Assistant | Anchorage, AK | 06/30/2025 | $32,119 |
| CHS, Inc. | Seasonal Scale Assistant | Kendrick, ID | 06/30/2025 | $31,702 |
| Ioaging | Engagement Assistant | San Francisco, CA | 06/30/2025 | $37,566 |
| Applus Tech | NDT Assistant | Williamsville, NY | 06/29/2025 | $37,566 |
| Crowell & Moring | Revenue Assistant | Ione, WA | 06/29/2025 | $48,000 |
| Menasha | Specialty Gluer Assistant | Santa Fe Springs, CA | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| Neimanmarcus | Selling Assistant, Chanel Handbags & Accessories | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $45,914 |
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