Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Salary in North Carolina
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in North Carolina have a median of $45,790 a year, below the national $47,540 (−4%); the state ranks 33rd of 51 states by median. That is 5% less than the median across all occupations in North Carolina ($47,970). Among neighbouring states, Virginia and Tennessee pay more (up to $47,620 in Virginia) and South Carolina and Georgia pay less (down to $41,600 in Georgia). North Carolina employs 43,690 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive, 8.84 per 1,000 jobs, the 12th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.81 is close to the national share.
North Carolina vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $15.25 | $18.32 | $22.01 | $24.94 | $29.69 | $22.21 | 43,690 | 8.84 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $31,720 | $38,100 | $45,790 | $51,870 | $61,750 | $46,200 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.00 | $18.67 | $22.86 | $27.89 | $31.90 | $23.73 | 1,706,790 | – | – |
| Annual | $33,280 | $38,830 | $47,540 | $58,000 | $66,350 | $49,350 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 33rd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 12th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.81
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.84
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of North Carolina's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in North Carolina
16 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching North Carolina publish a row for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $23.32 | $48,500 | $35,260 | $65,150 | 7,170 | 9.65 | 0.88 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $23.00 | $47,840 | $34,890 | $62,550 | 3,120 | 9.07 | 0.83 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $22.50 | $46,800 | $32,080 | $62,860 | 11,330 | 8.34 | 0.76 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $22.27 | $46,320 | $34,040 | $61,940 | 5,730 | 7.51 | 0.68 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $21.99 | $45,750 | $32,130 | $60,530 | 3,270 | 8.95 | 0.82 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $21.94 | $45,640 | $32,130 | $60,690 | 2,250 | 8.27 | 0.75 |
| Wilmington, NC | $21.82 | $45,380 | $32,290 | $60,320 | 2,070 | 10.80 | 0.98 |
| Burlington, NC | $21.46 | $44,630 | $32,340 | $59,530 | 730 | 10.80 | 0.98 |
| Greenville, NC | $21.32 | $44,350 | $31,190 | $60,500 | 540 | 6.69 | 0.61 |
| Asheville, NC | $21.27 | $44,240 | $32,130 | $60,770 | 1,550 | 8.60 | 0.78 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $20.60 | $42,840 | $30,510 | $59,400 | 510 | 9.38 | 0.85 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $20.51 | $42,660 | $30,190 | $55,580 | 370 | 8.51 | 0.78 |
| Fayetteville, NC | $20.39 | $42,410 | $30,760 | $59,210 | 1,100 | 8.33 | 0.76 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $20.06 | $41,710 | $31,870 | $59,430 | 1,140 | 7.43 | 0.68 |
| Goldsboro, NC | $19.91 | $41,410 | $30,860 | $55,710 | 320 | 7.88 | 0.72 |
| Jacksonville, NC | $18.55 | $38,590 | $30,740 | $56,310 | 440 | 8.31 | 0.76 |
| Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $19.91 | $41,410 | $30,320 | $56,430 | 2,900 | 11.44 | 1.04 |
| Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $19.84 | $41,260 | $30,740 | $58,000 | 2,110 | 8.85 | 0.81 |
| Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $19.83 | $41,250 | $29,700 | $58,020 | 2,490 | 9.42 | 0.86 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $22.01 | $45,790 | 43,690 | 0.81 |
| Georgia | $20.00 | $41,600 | 44,430 | 0.83 |
| South Carolina | $21.58 | $44,880 | 30,180 | 1.19 |
| Tennessee | $22.03 | $45,810 | 34,580 | 0.96 |
| Virginia | $22.89 | $47,620 | 31,580 | 0.70 |
See the national page for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive (every state ranked) and the North Carolina wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS North Carolina estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.