Executive Assistant Salary by U.S. City (2026)

Executive Assistant salaries across 50 U.S. cities, from BLS wage data: median and 10th-90th percentiles.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS) & BEA Regional Price Parities · Updated June 2026

Cities tracked
50
National average
$73,680

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How Executive Assistant pay varies by city

Across the 50 U.S. metros tracked here, Executive Assistant pay ranges from about $51,780 in New Orleans, LA to $102,450 in San Jose, CA (median wage). The U.S. national average for this role is about $73,680.

The table below ranks every metro by median wage. “Real pay” adjusts each salary for local cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. = 100) so you can compare what the paycheck is actually worth. See our methodology for sources and formulas.

CityMedian10th %ile90th %ileCost of living
(US = 100)		Real pay
(COL-adjusted)
San Jose, CA$102,450$72,940$134,710110.4$92,799
San Francisco, CA$97,130$64,250$132,690115.6$84,022
Oakland, CA$97,130$64,250$132,690115.6$84,022
New York, NY$82,080$60,120$121,010112.6$72,895
Washington, DC$80,680$55,380$116,110108.9$74,086
Seattle, WA$80,650$57,990$104,190111.1$72,592
San Diego, CA$78,990$54,100$105,940111.9$70,590
Los Angeles, CA$78,000$52,740$110,240113.6$68,662
Long Beach, CA$78,000$52,740$110,240113.6$68,662
Charlotte, NC$77,170$50,070$98,49097.3$79,311
Minneapolis, MN$76,710$57,400$105,840104.8$73,197
Boston, MA$75,370$43,552$97,642108.3$69,594
Arlington, TX$74,980$49,270$98,840——
Dallas, TX$74,980$49,270$98,840103.1$72,726
Sacramento, CA$74,980$54,560$107,760106.7$70,272
Baltimore, MD$74,140$50,020$102,430104.5$70,947
Philadelphia, PA$73,750$48,880$100,550102.6$71,881
Atlanta, GA$72,230$52,240$100,660100.1$72,158
Houston, TX$71,830$47,880$100,81098.6$72,850
Fresno, CA$71,640$47,550$97,520102.2$70,098
Chicago, IL$71,230$47,950$101,320103.6$68,755
Portland, OR$69,780$51,000$90,270105.4$66,205
Albuquerque, NM$68,750$54,090$83,46095.5$71,990
Detroit, MI$67,590$40,390$93,500100.3$67,388
Fort Worth, TX$66,703$33,525$89,926103.1$64,697
Columbus, OH$66,310$50,100$103,34095.5$69,435
Phoenix, AZ$66,000$46,370$94,530103.3$63,892
Mesa, AZ$66,000$46,370$94,530103.3$63,892
Raleigh, NC$65,590$46,710$95,83098.2$66,792
Milwaukee, WI$65,420$45,490$86,63096.9$67,513
San Antonio, TX$65,220$44,700$90,38094.7$68,870
Miami, FL$65,160$40,310$100,300114.2$57,058
Denver, CO$64,660$48,260$92,930105.8$61,115
Austin, TX$64,540$46,220$90,38098.1$65,790
Cleveland, OH$64,360$42,630$89,640——
Nashville, TN$63,490$36,600$85,73096.3$65,929
Las Vegas, NV$63,040$42,720$91,830100.2$62,914
Kansas City, MO$62,920$39,740$85,07092.5$68,022
Memphis, TN$62,850$42,630$86,47092.2$68,167
Omaha, NE$62,190$46,730$85,95091.9$67,671
Jacksonville, FL$61,700$36,260$89,55099.5$62,010
Tulsa, OK$61,010$41,480$103,09089.2$68,397
Colorado Springs, CO$60,000$44,010$83,990100.7$59,583
Tucson, AZ$58,890$43,190$83,16096.9$60,774
Indianapolis, IN$58,670$37,990$89,02095.7$61,306
Wichita, KS$58,590$38,150$77,66088.9$65,906
Oklahoma City, OK$58,100$38,070$86,67090.4$64,270
Louisville, KY$54,770$42,140$83,55093.1$58,829
El Paso, TX$54,600$38,650$76,29089.9$60,734
New Orleans, LA$51,780$36,470$81,04092.6$55,918

“Real pay” = average wage × 100 ÷ the metro’s Regional Price Parity — what the salary is worth in national-average dollars. A high-paying city with high costs can rank below a cheaper one on real pay.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The national average for Executive Assistants is $73,680 per year, based on BLS OEWS wage data. Metro-level pay varies widely: across the 50 cities we track, average pay runs from $51,780 in New Orleans to $102,450 in San Jose.

San Jose leads after adjusting for the local cost of living: its $102,450 average pay is worth about $92,799 in national-average dollars, ahead of San Francisco at $84,022.

Real pay divides the metro's average wage by its Regional Price Parity from the BEA, so expensive and cheap cities can be compared directly. San Jose's index is 110.4, so its $102,450 average equals about $92,799 in national buying power.

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