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, plus cost-of-living-adjusted real pay. Compare metros.

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

Cities tracked
50
National average
$73,680

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). But the highest nominal pay isn’t the best deal once local prices are factored in: adjusted for cost of living, Wichita, KS delivers the strongest real buying power (about $317,814 in national-average dollars). 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$96,710
Oakland, CA$97,130$64,250$132,690115.6$86,219
San Francisco, CA$97,130$64,250$132,690115.6$86,219
New York, NY$82,080$60,120$121,010112.6$76,766
Washington, DC$80,680$55,380$116,110108.9$76,788
Seattle, WA$80,650$57,990$104,190111.1$73,893
San Diego, CA$78,990$54,100$105,940111.9$72,341
Long Beach, CA$78,000$52,740$110,240113.6$71,914
Los Angeles, CA$78,000$52,740$110,240113.6$71,914
Charlotte, NC$77,170$50,070$98,49097.3$77,002
Minneapolis, MN$76,710$57,400$105,840104.8$74,507
Boston, MA$75,370$43,552$97,642108.3$69,616
Arlington, TX$74,980$49,270$98,840——
Dallas, TX$74,980$49,270$98,840103.1$71,316
Sacramento, CA$74,980$54,560$107,760106.7$72,935
Baltimore, MD$74,140$50,020$102,430104.5$71,818
Philadelphia, PA$73,750$48,880$100,550102.6$72,255
Atlanta, GA$72,230$52,240$100,660100.1$74,007
Houston, TX$71,830$47,880$100,81098.6$73,751
Fresno, CA$71,640$47,550$97,520102.2$70,822
Chicago, IL$71,230$47,950$101,320103.6$71,519
Portland, OR$69,780$51,000$90,270105.4$67,064
Albuquerque, NM$68,750$54,090$83,46095.5$73,075
Detroit, MI$67,590$40,390$93,500100.3$67,987
Fort Worth, TX$66,703$33,525$89,926103.1$64,704
Columbus, OH$66,310$50,100$103,34095.5$75,522
Mesa, AZ$66,000$46,370$94,530103.3$67,579
Phoenix, AZ$66,000$46,370$94,530103.3$67,579
Raleigh, NC$65,590$46,710$95,83098.2$71,691
Milwaukee, WI$65,420$45,490$86,63096.9$69,210
San Antonio, TX$65,220$44,700$90,38094.7$70,453
Miami, FL$65,160$40,310$100,300114.2$60,996
Denver, CO$64,660$48,260$92,930105.8$64,283
Austin, TX$64,540$46,220$90,38098.1$68,535
Cleveland, OH$64,360$42,630$89,640——
Nashville, TN$63,490$36,600$85,73096.3$65,675
Las Vegas, NV$63,040$42,720$91,830100.2$65,639
Kansas City, MO$62,920$39,740$85,07092.5$68,736
Memphis, TN$62,850$42,630$86,47092.2$70,558
Omaha, NE$62,190$46,730$85,95091.9$71,569
Jacksonville, FL$61,700$36,260$89,55099.5$63,075
Tulsa, OK$61,010$41,480$103,09089.2$74,786
Colorado Springs, CO$60,000$44,010$83,990100.7$63,084
Tucson, AZ$58,890$43,190$83,16096.9$63,883
Indianapolis, IN$58,670$37,990$89,02095.7$65,311
Wichita, KS$58,590$38,150$77,66018.3$317,814
Oklahoma City, OK$58,100$38,070$86,67090.4$66,410
Louisville, KY$54,770$42,140$83,55093.1$64,314
El Paso, TX$54,600$38,650$76,29089.9$62,361
New Orleans, LA$51,780$36,470$81,04026.3$216,654

“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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