SOC 43-6012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants — Wheeling
Wheeling, WV-OH · 4 metro areas compared
In Wheeling, WV the median wage is $47,410.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -5.8%
- Openings per year
- 19,600
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Wheeling, WV-OH.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Wheeling, WV the median wage is $47,410. That is 14.7% lower than the national median of $55,570. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $35,840 and $57,110. The lowest tenth earn under $30,010, while the highest tenth earn more than $60,590.
The area has 60 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.08 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Charleston leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $49,130. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 148th of 257 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $30,010 | −46.0% |
| 25th | $35,840 | −35.5% |
| Median (50th) | $47,410 | −14.7% |
| 75th | $57,110 | +2.8% |
| 90th | $60,590 | +9.0% |
| Mean | $49,240 | −11.4% |
Other metro areas in West Virginia
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charleston | $49,130 | 260 | |
| 2 | Parkersburg | $48,900 | 40 | |
| 3 | Huntington | $46,400 | 150 | |
| 4 | Weirton | $45,920 | 50 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Wheeling run 11.7% below the national average, so the median of $47,410 goes as far as $53,692 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 3.4% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$47,410as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$53,692US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $47,410 a year, 14.7% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $30,010 to $60,590 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 60 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Charleston, at $49,130.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in Wheeling, WV?
The median annual wage is $47,410, or $22.79 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $55,570, so pay in Wheeling, WV is 14.7% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Wheeling, WV earns more than $60,590 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $30,010 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Charleston, at $49,130 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 60 jobs in this occupation in Wheeling, WV. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
Explore related data