Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant Salary in Boston, MA
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area earn a median $51,600 a year — 12% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $41,281 take-home, or $3,440 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median medical secretary and administrative assistant salary in Boston, MA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$4,012
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,199
- Medicare (1.45%)$748
- Massachusetts income tax$2,360
- Take-home pay$41,281
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 5.00% state
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro spans Massachusetts, New Hampshire. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant pay by experience in Boston, MA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $43,810 | $21.06 | $35,411 | $2,951 |
| 25th percentile | $48,360 | $23.25 | $38,839 | $3,237 |
| Median (50th) | $51,600 | $24.81 | $41,281 | $3,440 |
| 75th percentile | $59,530 | $28.62 | $47,256 | $3,938 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $64,060 | $30.80 | $50,669 | $4,222 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Massachusetts resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $51,600 buys in Boston, MA
Prices in Boston, MA are 8.3% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.48× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median medical secretary and administrative assistant's $41,281 take-home pay has the buying power of $38,129 in a typical American city.
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 Boston, MA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.98).
Best-paying cities for medical secretaries and administrative assistants, adjusted for cost of living
Boston, MA ranks #30 of 69 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $69,350 | $54,380 | $49,247 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $60,350 | $50,671 | $45,595 |
| 3 | Sacramento, CA | $57,730 | $46,302 | $43,407 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $61,330 | $48,932 | $42,324 |
| 5 | Winston, NC | $46,370 | $38,097 | $41,390 |
| 6 | Cleveland, OH | $45,920 | $38,596 | $41,094 |
| 7 | Albuquerque, NM | $47,310 | $39,127 | $40,950 |
| 8 | Cincinnati, OH | $46,180 | $38,798 | $40,682 |
| 30 | Boston, MA | $51,600 | $41,281 | $38,129 |
*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 Massachusetts
- Worcester, MA — $47,290
Frequently asked questions
How much does a medical secretary and administrative assistant make in Boston, MA?
The median medical secretary and administrative assistant salary in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area is $51,600 a year, or about $24.81 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $48,360 and $59,530.
What is a medical secretary and administrative assistant’s take-home pay in Boston, MA?
On the median $51,600 salary, a single filer living in Massachusetts takes home about $41,281 a year ($3,440 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,360 in Massachusetts taxes in 2026.
Is Boston, MA a good place to work as a medical secretary and administrative assistant?
Pay here is 12% above the national median of $45,930. Local prices are 8.3% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $38,129 would in a typical U.S. city. Boston, MA ranks #30 of 69 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a medical secretary and administrative assistant afford rent in Boston, MA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Boston, MA is $2,276 a month ($2,762 for two bedrooms) — 66% of a median medical secretary and administrative assistant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Boston, MA
- Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant — $85,260
- First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers — $77,990
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk — $66,930
- Court, Municipal, and License Clerks — $62,850
- Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant — $62,690
- Postal Service Mail Carrier — $62,090
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks — $61,490
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks — $60,960
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive — $59,330
- Billing and Posting Clerk — $58,100
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance — $56,560
- Insurance Claim and Policy Processing Clerk — $55,950