Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Salary in Philadelphia, PA
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn a median $48,850 a year — 3% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $39,931 take-home, or $3,328 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary in Philadelphia, PA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$3,682
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,029
- Medicare (1.45%)$708
- Pennsylvania income tax$1,500
- Take-home pay$39,931
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.07% state
Living in Philadelphia? City residents also pay Philadelphia’s Resident Wage Tax — about $1,827 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $38,104 ($3,175 a month). Choose “Philadelphia” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro spans Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland. 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 →
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pay by experience in Philadelphia, PA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $35,660 | $17.14 | $29,738 | $2,478 |
| 25th percentile | $41,280 | $19.85 | $34,081 | $2,840 |
| Median (50th) | $48,850 | $23.49 | $39,931 | $3,328 |
| 75th percentile | $58,910 | $28.32 | $47,706 | $3,975 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $65,560 | $31.52 | $52,845 | $4,404 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Pennsylvania resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $48,850 buys in Philadelphia, PA
Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 2.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.13× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive's $39,931 take-home pay has the buying power of $38,937 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive jobs are about as common in Philadelphia, PA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.03).
Best-paying cities for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive, adjusted for cost of living
Philadelphia, PA ranks #74 of 111 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Haven, CT | $63,800 | $51,497 | $49,252 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $60,230 | $50,575 | $45,508 |
| 3 | San Jose, CA | $62,940 | $50,108 | $45,378 |
| 4 | Hartford, CT | $55,940 | $45,535 | $44,319 |
| 5 | Bridgeport, CT | $57,440 | $46,673 | $43,675 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $59,330 | $47,105 | $43,509 |
| 7 | Madison, WI | $51,410 | $42,007 | $43,178 |
| 8 | Nashville, TN | $49,000 | $41,552 | $43,131 |
| 74 | Philadelphia, PA | $48,850 | $39,931 | $38,937 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 111 metros →
About the job: secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- -6.0% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive salaries elsewhere in Pennsylvania
- Pittsburgh, PA — $45,550
- Harrisburg, PA — $47,430
- Scranton, PA — $44,260
- Lancaster, PA — $46,270
- Allentown, PA — $47,080
Frequently asked questions
How much does a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive make in Philadelphia, PA?
The median secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area is $48,850 a year, or about $23.49 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $41,280 and $58,910.
What is a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive’s take-home pay in Philadelphia, PA?
On the median $48,850 salary, a single filer living in Pennsylvania takes home about $39,931 a year ($3,328 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,500 in Pennsylvania taxes in 2026.
Is Philadelphia, PA a good place to work as a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive?
Pay here is 3% above the national median of $47,540. Local prices are 2.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $38,937 would in a typical U.S. city. Philadelphia, PA ranks #74 of 111 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive afford rent in Philadelphia, PA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Philadelphia, PA is $1,520 a month ($1,810 for two bedrooms) — 46% of a median secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Philadelphia, PA
- Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant — $79,490
- First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers — $72,700
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks — $61,710
- Postal Service Mail Carrier — $61,480
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs — $60,960
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk — $58,810
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators — $57,430
- Insurance Claim and Policy Processing Clerk — $57,150
- Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant — $56,480
- Loan Interviewer and Clerk — $53,780
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks — $52,710
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance — $51,170