Pay vs cost of living

How far does a Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistant's pay go, state by state?

A Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistant's pay leaves the most room in Minnesota — about $3,123/mo take-home against $1,230/mo typical rent — and the least in Florida.

StateEst. take-homeTypical rentRent share
Minnesota$3,123/mo$1,230/mo39%
Wisconsin$2,909/mo$1,033/mo36%
Rhode Island$3,055/mo$1,289/mo42%
South Dakota$2,675/mo$910/mo34%
Washington$3,307/mo$1,641/mo50%
Oregon$3,077/mo$1,431/mo47%
North Dakota$2,544/mo$911/mo36%
Maine$2,725/mo$1,104/mo41%
Connecticut$3,090/mo$1,483/mo48%
Nebraska$2,623/mo$1,017/mo39%
Alaska$2,966/mo$1,361/mo46%
Wyoming$2,555/mo$979/mo38%
West Virginia$2,410/mo$848/mo35%
Missouri$2,558/mo$997/mo39%
Iowa$2,450/mo$932/mo38%
Ohio$2,488/mo$986/mo40%
Vermont$2,701/mo$1,207/mo45%
Indiana$2,490/mo$1,022/mo41%
New Mexico$2,501/mo$1,034/mo41%
Kentucky$2,379/mo$918/mo39%
Michigan$2,500/mo$1,072/mo43%
Illinois$2,672/mo$1,246/mo47%
New Hampshire$2,839/mo$1,424/mo50%
Oklahoma$2,385/mo$970/mo41%
Montana$2,438/mo$1,031/mo42%
Kansas$2,427/mo$1,025/mo42%
Alabama$2,363/mo$967/mo41%
Massachusetts$3,112/mo$1,716/mo55%
New York$3,014/mo$1,621/mo54%
North Carolina$2,526/mo$1,147/mo45%
Arizona$2,786/mo$1,419/mo51%
Pennsylvania$2,538/mo$1,176/mo46%
Arkansas$2,244/mo$903/mo40%
New Jersey$2,997/mo$1,656/mo55%
South Carolina$2,445/mo$1,131/mo46%
Idaho$2,473/mo$1,163/mo47%
Mississippi$2,230/mo$933/mo42%
Delaware$2,598/mo$1,321/mo51%
Tennessee$2,380/mo$1,111/mo47%
Maryland$2,922/mo$1,683/mo58%
Louisiana$2,239/mo$1,028/mo46%
District of Columbia$3,107/mo$1,900/mo61%
California$3,154/mo$1,969/mo62%
Texas$2,498/mo$1,328/mo53%
Georgia$2,471/mo$1,320/mo53%
Virginia$2,694/mo$1,547/mo57%
Utah$2,536/mo$1,396/mo55%
Nevada$2,612/mo$1,478/mo57%
Hawaii$2,956/mo$1,927/mo65%
Colorado$2,614/mo$1,659/mo63%
Florida$2,441/mo$1,542/mo63%

Take-home is that state's BLS OEWS 2023 median wage after a rough ~22% tax estimate — a ballpark, not a real paycheck. Rent is population-weighted Census gross rent (utilities included). Neither includes state taxes, insurance, or the cost of moving.

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