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What does a Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants salary really buy you in Virginia?
Virginia is 2.1% pricier than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Virginia's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 102.1, meaning prices are 2.1% higher the national average. A Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants earning $46,180 in Virginia has the equivalent purchasing power of $45,230 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Virginia's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $37,180 | $36,415 | $-764 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $39,500 | $38,687 | $-812 |
| Median (P50) | $46,180 | $45,230 | $-949 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $48,720 | $47,717 | $-1,002 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $58,350 | $57,149 | $-1,200 |
Virginia's cost of living is close to the national average, so $46,180 keeps most of its value at $45,230 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 102.1, Virginia is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Virginia's cost of living, $46,180 nominal nets out to $45,230 in real purchasing power — a small 2.1% loss. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Virginia's rank of #32 of 51 states means real purchasing power for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants trails the national half-way line.
Where does Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Virginia ranks #32 out of 51 states for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants take-home pay in Virginia after taxes →
A Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in Virginia earns a median salary of $46,180 per year. After adjusting for Virginia's cost of living (RPP=102.1), the real purchasing power is $45,230 — a -2.1% difference.
Virginia's cost of living is 2.1% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Virginia is 102.1 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in Virginia: $46,180 x (100 / 102.1) = $45,230. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Partially — a Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants's nominal salary of $46,180 in Virginia has 2.1% less purchasing power due to higher living costs. The real value is $45,230. However, Virginia may offer better career opportunities, networking, and industry access.
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