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

Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant Salary in Houston, TX

Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area earn a median $44,210 a year — 4% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $37,703 take-home, or $3,142 a month.

Median salary
$44,210
$21.25 per hour
Typical range
$30,520 – $55,120
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Houston, TX
20,220
0.99× national concentration
▲1.4%
Pay trend: The median for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Houston, TX rose from $43,590 (May 2024) to $44,210 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 1.0%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant in Houston, TX
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$37,703
per year · effective tax rate 14.7%
$3,142Monthly
$1,571Twice a month
$1,450Every 2 weeks
$18.13Hourly
  • Federal income tax$3,125
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,741
  • Medicare (1.45%)$641
  • Texas income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$37,703

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

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

Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant pay by experience in Houston, TX

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$30,520$14.67$26,703$2,225
25th percentile$37,650$18.10$32,432$2,703
Median (50th)$44,210$21.25$37,703$3,142
75th percentile$47,030$22.61$39,969$3,331
90th percentile (top earners)$55,120$26.50$46,469$3,872

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

What $44,210 buys in Houston, TX

Prices in Houston, TX are 1.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.05× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median medical secretary and administrative assistant's $37,703 take-home pay has the buying power of $38,227 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,316
42% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,558
50% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,826
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 Houston, TX as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.99).

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

Houston, TX ranks #29 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
29Houston, TX$44,210$37,703$38,227

*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 Texas

Frequently asked questions

How much does a medical secretary and administrative assistant make in Houston, TX?

The median medical secretary and administrative assistant salary in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area is $44,210 a year, or about $21.25 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $37,650 and $47,030.

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

On the median $44,210 salary, a single filer living in Texas takes home about $37,703 a year ($3,142 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

Is Houston, TX a good place to work as a medical secretary and administrative assistant?

Pay here is 4% below the national median of $45,930. Local prices are 1.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $38,227 would in a typical U.S. city. Houston, TX ranks #29 of 69 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a medical secretary and administrative assistant afford rent in Houston, TX?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Houston, TX is $1,316 a month ($1,558 for two bedrooms) — 42% 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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