Hiring an administrative assistant in Laredo, TX

Do Laredo residents in office and administrative support work earn more than employers in the Laredo, TX area pay?

Laredo residents working in office and administrative support occupations earn a median of $29,202 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $37,110 as the median of the 33 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Laredo, TX area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 21%, with the employers figure the higher of the two.

Both sides of that figure describe the whole office and administrative support group, not this one role. In the Laredo, TX area the group covers 33 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks at $26,590 to executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants at $58,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive at $37,080 inside it.

That comparison is between two different measures, not a pay gap. The two weight the same occupation group differently: the Census figure is the midpoint across the people who actually hold those jobs, so a group carrying a few very well paid occupations is pulled toward them, while the BLS figure is the midpoint across the 33 published occupation wages, which counts each of those occupations once whatever its headcount. Census also counts where people live and BLS counts where the jobs are, and the two cover different populations, Census the civilian employed population 16 and over, BLS wage-and-salary jobs only. Read the number against other cities, where the same definitional difference applies on both sides, rather than as a shortfall.

Published wages across this group in the metro run above what Laredo residents in it earn, which usually means employers here draw this talent from beyond the city line rather than from inside it.

Is the talent actually in Laredo?

This is a job zone two: some preparation needed occupation. These occupations usually require a high school diploma. O*NET OnLine, SOC 43-6014.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 21.5% of Laredo adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Laredo aged 25 and over.

The average Laredo commute runs 21.3 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 5.4% of Laredo workers already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that. Census ACS 5-year 2023, place-level commuting characteristics for Laredo.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Webb County, administrative and support services employs 6,891 and turns over 15.0% a quarter, with 2,429 hires against 2,611 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $3,106 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 56.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a high-churn market, where speed matters more than a perfect fit.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's $37,080 median in the Laredo, TX area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $7,416 to $11,124 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Questions employers ask about hiring an administrative assistant in Laredo

What does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Laredo?

Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role and never by salary or location. A contingency firm billing 20 to 30% of this role's $37,080 median wage in the Laredo, TX area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $7,416 to $11,124 on the first year salary alone.

What should an offer for an administrative assistant in Laredo look like?

Employers in the Laredo, TX area pay secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive a median of $37,080, with the middle half of the market between $30,300 and $46,120 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $30,300 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Laredo residents in office and administrative support work earn more than employers in the Laredo, TX area pay?

Laredo residents working in office and administrative support occupations earn a median of $29,202 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $37,110 as the median of the 33 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Laredo, TX area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 21%. Both figures cover the whole occupation group rather than this one role, and one counts where people live while the other counts where the jobs are, so the percentage is not a pay gap.

Is the talent for this role already in Laredo?

This is a job zone 2 occupation and does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 21.5% of Laredo adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501).

Related

• Hiring Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive: the role, the pay, the process
• Recruiting services in Laredo
• Every Texas city we cover

Laredo is the 11th largest of 17 Texas cities in this dataset.