What are the main factors that influence an Assistant's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change An Assistant's salary?

An Assistant's salary grows with experience: starting around $55,370 for beginners, reaching about $57,410 at mid-level, and approach $58,413 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for an Assistant?

Assistant salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Assistant roles are District of Columbia $63,564, California $63,323, Massachusetts $62,479. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Assistant roles make?

Salaries for Assistant level roles vary by specialization: Physician Assistant - Cardiology: $121,566; Physician Assistant - Clinic: $121,566; Pathology Assistant: $79,104; Telemedicine Assistant: $76,679; Actuarial Assistant: $70,699.

How do different companies affect an Assistant's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Assistant roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Assistant Salary in the United States

How much does an Assistant make in the United States?

As of March 01, 2026, the average salary for an Assistant in the United States is $57,410 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $28.

However, an Assistant's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $61,755
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $52,050 to $59,684
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $47,169

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Assistant Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$59,684	$4,974	$1,148	$29
Average	$57,410	$4,784	$1,104	$28
25th Percentile	$52,050	$4,337	$1,001	$25

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Key Factors That Influence Assistant Salaries

An Assistant's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Assistant Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Assistant's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $55,370
Early Career (1-2 years): $55,540
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $57,410
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $58,346
Expert (over 8 years): $58,413

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Assistant	$55,370
Intermediate Level Assistant	$55,540
Senior Level Assistant	$57,410
Specialist Level Assistant	$58,346
Expert Level Assistant	$58,413

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Assistant Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Assistants. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $63,564.
California: $63,323.
Massachusetts: $62,479.

District of Columbia $63,564 California $63,323 Massachusetts $62,479 Washington $62,250 New Jersey $62,227 Alaska $62,146 Connecticut $61,354 New York $61,033

Hawaii $60,005 Rhode Island $59,523 Maryland $59,196 Minnesota $58,748 Colorado $58,576 Illinois $58,518 Oregon $58,300 Delaware $58,139

New Hampshire $58,038 Virginia $57,812 Pennsylvania $57,152 Nevada $56,819 North Dakota $56,710 Michigan $56,537 Wisconsin $56,474 Vermont $56,348

Texas $55,998 Maine $55,975 Arizona $55,940 Ohio $55,900 Georgia $55,372 Indiana $55,108 Wyoming $55,056 Utah $54,976

Iowa $54,941 Kansas $54,666 Louisiana $54,586 North Carolina $54,557 Missouri $54,545 Florida $54,321 Montana $54,201 Nebraska $54,086

Kentucky $54,023 South Carolina $53,793 Tennessee $53,650 Idaho $53,592 New Mexico $53,173 Oklahoma $53,081 Alabama $52,743 South Dakota $52,174

Arkansas $51,864 West Virginia $51,698 Mississippi $51,198

Top Paying Cities for Assistants

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $72,411
San Francisco: $71,699
Oakland: $70,109

San Jose, CA $72,411

San Francisco, CA $71,699

Oakland, CA $70,109

New York, NY $66,533

Queens Village, NY $66,102

Paramus, NJ $65,643

Passaic, NJ $65,585

Bergenfield, NJ $65,528

Stamford, CT $65,442

Huntington, NY $65,384

Newark, NJ $65,011

Bridgeport, CT $64,896

New Brunswick, NJ $64,707

Vallejo, CA $64,586

Middlesex, NJ $64,552

Somerset, NJ $64,500

Petaluma, CA $64,368

Santa Cruz, CA $64,144

Boston, MA $64,029

Monterey, CA $63,742

Fairbanks, AK $63,702

Los Angeles, CA $63,593

Washington, DC $63,564

Seattle, WA $63,461

Santa Rosa, CA $63,450

Juneau, AK $63,283

Orange, CA $63,094

Anchorage, AK $62,990

Anaheim, CA $62,950

Santa Ana, CA $62,864

Nassau, NY $62,830

Long Beach, CA $62,807

Danbury, CT $62,789

Santa Maria, CA $62,594

Everett, WA $62,583

Bremerton, WA $62,301

Trenton, NJ $62,192

Sacramento, CA $62,169

San Diego, CA $62,141

Brockton, MA $62,118

Tacoma, WA $62,095

Santa Barbara, CA $62,014

Lowell, MA $61,785

New Suffolk, NY $61,762

Nashua, NH $61,693

Lompoc, CA $61,601

Ventura, CA $61,544

Stockton, CA $61,526

New Haven, CT $61,412

Atlantic City, NJ $61,262

Hartford, CT $61,136

Modesto, CA $61,107

Poughkeepsie, NY $60,981

New Britain, CT $60,952

Olympia, WA $60,872

Kennewick, WA $60,872

New London, CT $60,860

Norwich, CT $60,843

Lawrence, MA $60,815

Bakersfield, CA $60,654

Riverside, CA $60,573

New Bedford, MA $60,573

Richland, WA $60,516

Portsmouth, NH $60,470

Vineland, NJ $60,459

San Bernardino, CA $60,413

Boulder, CO $60,252

Worcester, MA $60,206

Portland, OR $60,154

Saint Paul, MN $60,085

Minneapolis, MN $60,085

Philadelphia, PA $60,005

Honolulu, HI $59,701

Springfield, MA $59,500

Providence, RI $59,494

Chicago, IL $59,328

Bellingham, WA $59,259

Baltimore, MD $59,196

Chico, CA $59,052

Wilmington, DE $58,954

Pittsfield, MA $58,897

Manchester, NH $58,788

Spokane, WA $58,535

Denver, CO $58,530

Albany, NY $58,260

Troy, NY $58,237

Schenectady, NY $58,116

Burlington, VT $57,990

Portland, ME $57,789

Salem, OR $57,743

Yakima, WA $57,732

Ann Arbor, MI $57,714

Rochester, MN $57,554

Fresno, CA $57,525

Reno, NV $57,525

Milwaukee, WI $57,473

Detroit, MI $57,416

Allentown, PA $57,399

Carson City, NV $57,393

Houston, TX $57,307

Colorado Springs, CO $57,301

Syracuse, NY $57,272

Eugene, OR $57,163

Bismarck, ND $57,094

Gary, IN $57,094

Galveston, TX $57,094

Springfield, OR $57,048

Medford, OR $56,911

Fort Collins, CO $56,888

Austin, TX $56,842

Mesa, AZ $56,721

Phoenix, AZ $56,710

Dallas, TX $56,692

Reading, PA $56,658

Saint Cloud, MN $56,635

Concord, NH $56,583

Madison, WI $56,560

Utica, NY $56,405

Raleigh, NC $56,359

Las Vegas, NV $56,354

Rochester, NY $56,314

Des Moines, IA $56,308

Atlanta, GA $56,216

Battle Creek, MI $56,199

Salt Lake City, UT $56,182

Lancaster, PA $56,095

Champaign, IL $56,084

Harrisburg, PA $56,015

Durham, NC $55,963

Kansas City, MO $55,958

Kansas City, KS $55,946

Fort Worth, TX $55,940

Boca Raton, FL $55,917

Cleveland, OH $55,912

Columbus, OH $55,900

Pittsburgh, PA $55,894

Richmond, VA $55,872

Indianapolis, IN $55,860

Cincinnati, OH $55,785

Petersburg, VA $55,699

Billings, MT $55,573

Lansing, MI $55,573

Huntsville, AL $55,573

Lebanon, PA $55,567

Dayton, OH $55,561

Pueblo, CO $55,561

Appleton, WI $55,544

Buffalo, NY $55,521

Racine, WI $55,493

Charlotte, NC $55,487

Saint Louis, MO $55,470

Springfield, IL $55,447

Elkhart, IN $55,435

York, PA $55,435

Gastonia, NC $55,429

Benton Harbor, MI $55,429

Beaumont, TX $55,395

Lorain, OH $55,384

Toledo, OH $55,361

Binghamton, NY $55,332

Rock Hill, SC $55,326

Rockford, IL $55,297

Fargo, ND $55,269

Elyria, OH $55,269

Flagstaff, AZ $55,229

Fort Lauderdale, FL $55,194

Miami, FL $55,160

Duluth, MN $55,068

Bangor, ME $54,993

Cedar Rapids, IA $54,930

Louisville, KY $54,901

Grand Rapids, MI $54,890

Hialeah, FL $54,884

Casper, WY $54,804

Scranton, PA $54,735

New Orleans, LA $54,718

Virginia Beach, VA $54,712

Akron, OH $54,683

Peoria, IL $54,608

Sarasota, FL $54,597

Green Bay, WI $54,557

Baton Rouge, LA $54,528

Charleston, SC $54,517

Nashville, TN $54,499

Jamestown, NY $54,488

Davenport, IA $54,488

Tucson, AZ $54,459

Cheyenne, WY $54,442

Saint Petersburg, FL $54,425

Tampa, FL $54,413

Omaha, NE $54,402

Port Arthur, TX $54,379

Evansville, IN $54,379

Bradenton, FL $54,356

Santa Fe, NM $54,253

Orlando, FL $54,195

Clearwater, FL $54,132

Canton, OH $54,011

La Crosse, WI $54,011

Grand Forks, ND $53,994

Albuquerque, NM $53,977

Tulsa, OK $53,977

Newport News, VA $53,971

High Point, NC $53,954

Ogden, UT $53,931

Corpus Christi, TX $53,885

Laramie, WY $53,851

Norfolk, VA $53,851

Rock Island, IL $53,816

Saginaw, MI $53,805

Jacksonville, FL $53,799

Salisbury, NC $53,788

Memphis, TN $53,776

Moline, IL $53,747

Fort Myers, FL $53,730

Waterloo, IA $53,655

Spartanburg, SC $53,598

Lincoln, NE $53,569

Fort Wayne, IN $53,558

Birmingham, AL $53,495

Cedar Falls, IA $53,483

Provo, UT $53,478

Springfield, OH $53,472

San Antonio, TX $53,460

Greensboro, NC $53,437

South Bend, IN $53,432

Winston Salem, NC $53,426

Boise, ID $53,409

Savannah, GA $53,368

Muskegon, MI $53,265

Lima, OH $53,196

Lake Charles, LA $53,173

Anderson, IN $53,162

Lexington, KY $53,145

Augusta, GA $53,127

Greenville, SC $53,127

Wichita, KS $53,076

Tuscaloosa, AL $53,076

Columbia, SC $53,024

Bloomington, IN $52,880

Roanoke, VA $52,846

Asheville, NC $52,771

Knoxville, TN $52,674

Shreveport, LA $52,668

Wilmington, NC $52,593

Frankfort, KY $52,484

Oklahoma City, OK $52,444

Chillicothe, OH $52,421

Longview, TX $52,415

Topeka, KS $52,398

Mobile, AL $52,312

Terre Haute, IN $52,289

Erie, PA $52,283

Altoona, PA $52,255

Melbourne, FL $52,237

Amarillo, TX $52,214

Killeen, TX $52,197

Fayetteville, AR $52,151

Sioux Falls, SD $52,111

Chattanooga, TN $52,077

Idaho Falls, ID $52,071

Gainesville, FL $51,950

Portsmouth, OH $51,922

Little Rock, AR $51,910

Lynchburg, VA $51,910

Lafayette, LA $51,887

Youngstown, OH $51,887

Temple, TX $51,864

Daytona Beach, FL $51,853

Clarksville, TN $51,847

Pensacola, FL $51,841

Hopkinsville, KY $51,669

Charleston, WV $51,663

Florence, SC $51,635

Sioux City, IA $51,600

Macon, GA $51,434

Tallahassee, FL $51,428

Fayetteville, NC $51,416

Waco, TX $51,405

Wichita Falls, TX $51,405

Pine Bluff, AR $51,382

Vincennes, IN $51,273

Lubbock, TX $51,250

Great Falls, MT $51,216

Alamogordo, NM $51,210

Abilene, TX $51,164

Rapid City, SD $51,089

Monroe, LA $51,089

Albany, GA $51,055

Huntington, WV $51,049

Jackson, MS $51,043

Greenville, MS $51,038

Parkersburg, WV $50,980

Montgomery, AL $50,969

Johnstown, PA $50,957

Springfield, MO $50,911

Biloxi, MS $50,883

Sumter, SC $50,762

Columbus, GA $50,756

Twin Falls, ID $50,722

Pascagoula, MS $50,647

Kingsport, TN $50,498

Gulfport, MS $50,481

Alexandria, LA $50,291

Fort Smith, AR $50,148

El Paso, TX $49,993

Helena, MT $49,918

Las Cruces, NM $49,734

Harlingen, TX $49,574

Pocatello, ID $49,522

Florence, AL $49,505

Brownsville, TX $49,493

Dothan, AL $49,401

Mcallen, TX $49,373

Columbus, MS $48,948

Altus, OK $48,684

Lawton, OK $48,575

Pierre, SD $48,368

What Skills Can Increase an Assistant's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 3.36% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Basic Life Support (Mentioned in 3.08% Job Postings): BLS is a level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries until they can be given full medical care by advanced life support providers. It can be provided by trained medical personnel.
Cardiac (Mentioned in 2.09% Job Postings): Cardiac means relating to the heart. The adjective cardiac is most often used in a medical context: a doctor who operates on people's hearts is a cardiac surgeon and an irregular heart beat is called "cardiac arrhythmia."

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	3.36%
Basic Life Support	3.08%
Cardiac	2.09%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Assistant's salary.

Team Building: Can increase your salary by up to 36%.
Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Accountability: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Team Building	$78,078	36%
Innovation	$60,855	6%
Accountability	$60,281	5%
Communication Skills	$59,707	4%
Diversity and Inclusion	$59,707	4%
Anesthesia	$59,132	3%

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How Education impacts an Assistant's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Assistants enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Assistant with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $55,038 and $58,332).

Assistant Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Assistant

No Diploma 0.7%

High School 58.7%

Associates 30.1%

Bachelors 8.4%

Masters 2.1%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.7%
High School	58.7%
Associates	30.1%
Bachelors	8.4%
Masters	2.1%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Assistant Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Assistant's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on March 01, 2026

$52,050

Average $57,410/year

$59,684

$4,337

Average $4,784/month

$4,974

$1,001

Average $1,104/week

$1,148

$25

Average $28/hour

$29

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$59,684	$4,974	$1,148	$29
Average	$57,410	$4,784	$1,104	$28
25th Percentile	$52,050	$4,337	$1,001	$25

Salaries of jobs related to Assistant

Salary Trends for Assistant

Salaries for an Assistant can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $64,823 in 2023 to around $58,369 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Assistant salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Assistant Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$64,823

2024

$61,112

2025

$58,369

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$64,823
2024	$61,112
2025	$58,369
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Assistant

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Healthcare

Pension

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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