Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant Salary in Buffalo, NY

Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area earn a median $45,960 a year — 0% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $37,224 take-home, or $3,102 a month.

Median salary
$45,960
$22.10 per hour
Typical range
$37,260 – $57,680
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Buffalo, NY
3,110
0.94× national concentration
▲0.8%
Pay trend: The median for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Buffalo, NY rose from $45,600 (May 2024) to $45,960 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 1.6%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median medical secretary and administrative assistant salary in Buffalo, NY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant in Buffalo, NY
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$37,224
per year · effective tax rate 19.0%
$3,102Monthly
$1,551Twice a month
$1,432Every 2 weeks
$17.90Hourly
  • Federal income tax$3,335
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,850
  • Medicare (1.45%)$666
  • New York income tax$1,885
  • Take-home pay$37,224

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 5.40% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant pay by experience in Buffalo, NY

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$37,260$17.91$30,703$2,559
25th percentile$39,610$19.04$32,465$2,705
Median (50th)$45,960$22.10$37,224$3,102
75th percentile$49,280$23.69$39,712$3,309
90th percentile (top earners)$57,680$27.73$46,008$3,834

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, New York resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $45,960 buys in Buffalo, NY

Prices in Buffalo, NY are 4.2% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 19% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median medical secretary and administrative assistant's $37,224 take-home pay has the buying power of $38,838 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,139
37% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,343
43% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,963
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant jobs are about as common in Buffalo, NY as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.94).

Best-paying cities for medical secretaries and administrative assistants, adjusted for cost of living

Buffalo, NY ranks #23 of 69 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1San Jose, CA $69,350$54,380$49,247
2Seattle, WA $60,350$50,671$45,595
3Sacramento, CA $57,730$46,302$43,407
4San Francisco, CA $61,330$48,932$42,324
5Winston, NC $46,370$38,097$41,390
6Cleveland, OH $45,920$38,596$41,094
7Albuquerque, NM $47,310$39,127$40,950
8Cincinnati, OH $46,180$38,798$40,682
23Buffalo, NY$45,960$37,224$38,838

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 69 metros →

About the job: medical secretaries and administrative assistants

Perform secretarial duties using specific knowledge of medical terminology and hospital, clinic, or laboratory procedures. Duties may include scheduling appointments, billing patients, and compiling and recording medical charts, reports, and correspondence.

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
+4.8% (about average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant salaries elsewhere in New York

Frequently asked questions

How much does a medical secretary and administrative assistant make in Buffalo, NY?

The median medical secretary and administrative assistant salary in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area is $45,960 a year, or about $22.10 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $39,610 and $49,280.

What is a medical secretary and administrative assistant’s take-home pay in Buffalo, NY?

On the median $45,960 salary, a single filer living in New York takes home about $37,224 a year ($3,102 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,885 in New York taxes in 2026.

Is Buffalo, NY a good place to work as a medical secretary and administrative assistant?

Pay here is 0% above the national median of $45,930. Local prices are 4.2% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $38,838 would in a typical U.S. city. Buffalo, NY ranks #23 of 69 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a medical secretary and administrative assistant afford rent in Buffalo, NY?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Buffalo, NY is $1,139 a month ($1,343 for two bedrooms) — 37% of a median medical secretary and administrative assistant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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