Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does an administrative assistant make in Boston-Cambridge, MA?

In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan area, administrative assistants earned a median of $59,330 a year ($28.53 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 28,540 of these jobs there. That is 11% below the $66,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $42,930 and $79,050; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Massachusetts tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $47,205 in take-home pay.

Administrative assistant pay in Boston-Cambridge, MA at a glance

Median salary

$59,330$28.53 per hour · $4,944 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$42,930$20.64/hr
25th percentile$48,690$23.41/hr
75th percentile$65,140$31.32/hr
90th percentile$79,050$38.01/hr
Jobs in this metro28,540Location quotient 0.96 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here11% belowAll-jobs median $66,620
Against Massachusetts2% aboveStatewide median $57,940
Against the U.S.25% aboveNational median $47,540

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Administrative assistant salary in Boston-Cambridge, MA after taxes

$59,330
$20,000$120,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$59,330
Net 80%
Fed 8%
MA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$47,205After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,934Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,816Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate20.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,940 / yr
Massachusetts state income tax$2,647 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,539 / yr

Administrative assistants pay range in Boston-Cambridge, MA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What administrative assistants earned in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MA)
10th percentile$20.64/hr$3,578$42,930$34,848
25th percentile$23.41/hr$4,058$48,690$39,188
MedianMedian$28.53/hr$4,944$59,330$47,205
75th percentile$31.32/hr$5,428$65,140$51,583
90th percentile$38.01/hr$6,588$79,050$60,809

Is $59,330 a good salary in Boston-Cambridge, MA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for administrative assistants next to both.

Median household income$115,863Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)108.38.3% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household51.2%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Administrative assistant pay in Boston-Cambridge, MA: common questions

What is the median salary for administrative assistants in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

The BLS median annual wage for administrative assistants in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area was $59,330 in May 2025, about $4,944 a month or $28.53 an hour. Statewide, the Massachusetts median for this job is $57,940, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for administrative assistants in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

The median hourly wage for administrative assistants in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH was $28.53 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $20.64 an hour and one in ten earned more than $38.01.

How many administrative assistants work in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

BLS estimated 28,540 jobs for administrative assistants in the metro in May 2025, or 10.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.96 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for administrative assistants in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

BLS wage estimates for administrative assistants in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH run from $42,930 at the 10th percentile to $48,690 at the 25th, $65,140 at the 75th, and $79,050 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do administrative assistants take home after taxes in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

On a median gross salary of $59,330, an estimated $47,205 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,816 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Massachusetts in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $12,125 (an effective rate of 20.4%).

How much do administrative assistants make per month in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

On the median annual salary of $59,330, gross monthly income is $4,944. After federal, FICA, and Massachusetts state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,934 per month (or $1,816 every two weeks).

Is $59,330 a good salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

At $59,330, the median salary for administrative assistants is 51.2% of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH median household income ($115,863). It is 11% below the $66,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 108.3, so prices here run 8.3% above the U.S. average.