Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Salary in Tennessee
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in Tennessee have a median of $45,810 a year, below the national $47,540 (−4%); the state ranks 32nd of 51 states by median. That is 3% less than the median across all occupations in Tennessee ($47,380). Among neighbouring states, Virginia pays more (up to $47,620 in Virginia) and North Carolina, Kentucky, Missouri, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas and Mississippi pay less (down to $37,340 in Mississippi). Tennessee employs 34,580 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive, 10.5 per 1,000 jobs, the 15th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.96 is close to the national share.
Tennessee vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $14.26 | $17.81 | $22.03 | $25.96 | $30.35 | $22.19 | 34,580 | 10.55 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $29,660 | $37,040 | $45,810 | $54,000 | $63,130 | $46,140 | ||||
| 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
- 32nd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 15th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.96
- Jobs per 1,000
- 10.55
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Tennessee'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 Tennessee
10 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Tennessee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $23.56 | $49,000 | $33,810 | $65,910 | 12,100 | 11.01 | 1.00 |
| Knoxville, TN | $22.11 | $46,000 | $29,730 | $64,390 | 4,790 | 11.27 | 1.03 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $22.10 | $45,960 | $28,160 | $63,370 | 5,500 | 8.99 | 0.82 |
| Cleveland, TN | $20.62 | $42,880 | $27,520 | $57,150 | 390 | 9.00 | 0.82 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | $20.60 | $42,840 | $29,850 | $58,920 | 1,020 | 9.89 | 0.90 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $20.19 | $41,990 | $27,350 | $60,400 | 2,470 | 9.18 | 0.84 |
| Morristown, TN | $19.73 | $41,040 | $28,140 | $56,230 | 440 | 9.21 | 0.84 |
| Jackson, TN | $19.58 | $40,720 | $28,980 | $61,050 | 850 | 10.07 | 0.92 |
| Johnson City, TN | $19.26 | $40,060 | $28,800 | $56,930 | 1,030 | 12.58 | 1.15 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $19.16 | $39,850 | $29,650 | $60,140 | 1,190 | 9.99 | 0.91 |
| West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $19.11 | $39,740 | $25,970 | $58,250 | 1,420 | 12.14 | 1.11 |
| East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $18.96 | $39,440 | $26,400 | $56,870 | 1,310 | 9.34 | 0.85 |
| North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $18.88 | $39,270 | $25,630 | $56,530 | 1,350 | 11.71 | 1.07 |
| South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $18.38 | $38,230 | $25,400 | $56,430 | 1,220 | 11.11 | 1.01 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $22.03 | $45,810 | 34,580 | 0.96 |
| Alabama | $20.01 | $41,630 | 45,050 | 1.94 |
| Arkansas | $18.09 | $37,630 | 8,590 | 0.60 |
| Georgia | $20.00 | $41,600 | 44,430 | 0.83 |
| Kentucky | $21.25 | $44,200 | 18,420 | 0.84 |
| Missouri | $20.93 | $43,540 | 33,180 | 1.03 |
| Mississippi | $17.95 | $37,340 | 14,720 | 1.15 |
| North Carolina | $22.01 | $45,790 | 43,690 | 0.81 |
| 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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.