Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Salary in Boston, MA
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area earn a median $59,330 a year — 25% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $47,105 take-home, or $3,925 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary in Boston, MA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$4,940
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,678
- Medicare (1.45%)$860
- Massachusetts income tax$2,747
- Take-home pay$47,105
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 →
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pay by experience in Boston, MA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $42,930 | $20.64 | $34,748 | $2,896 |
| 25th percentile | $48,690 | $23.41 | $39,088 | $3,257 |
| Median (50th) | $59,330 | $28.52 | $47,105 | $3,925 |
| 75th percentile | $65,140 | $31.32 | $51,483 | $4,290 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $79,050 | $38.00 | $60,709 | $5,059 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Massachusetts resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $59,330 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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive's $47,105 take-home pay has the buying power of $43,509 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 Boston, MA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.96).
Best-paying cities for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive, adjusted for cost of living
Boston, MA ranks #6 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 |
*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 Massachusetts
- Worcester, MA — $52,450
Frequently asked questions
How much does a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive make in Boston, MA?
The median secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area is $59,330 a year, or about $28.52 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $48,690 and $65,140.
What is a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive’s take-home pay in Boston, MA?
On the median $59,330 salary, a single filer living in Massachusetts takes home about $47,105 a year ($3,925 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,747 in Massachusetts taxes in 2026.
Is Boston, MA a good place to work as a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive?
Pay here is 25% above the national median of $47,540. Local prices are 8.3% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $43,509 would in a typical U.S. city. Boston, MA ranks #6 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 Boston, MA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Boston, MA is $2,276 a month ($2,762 for two bedrooms) — 58% 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 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
- Billing and Posting Clerk — $58,100
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance — $56,560
- Insurance Claim and Policy Processing Clerk — $55,950
- Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant — $51,600