Office Clerks, General Salary
Office Clerks, Generals in Salinas, CA make a median of $48,340 a year, or about $23.24 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $69K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.04), so that salary is closer to $44,332 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,684/month, about 80.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Salinas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salinas’s Regional Price Parity (109.04). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About office clerks, generals
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Salinas
Office clerks, general pay in Salinas tracks closely to the national median, $48K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,684/month, which is 81.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.04), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for office clerks, generals in metros near Salinas, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $48K | $42K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $52K | $45K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $50K | $45K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $46K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salinas, CA
Entry-level office clerks, generals (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $69K or more, a $33K spread from bottom to top.
Office Clerks, General pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Office Clerks, General salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $55K | +22% | 5,670 |
| Colorado | $54K | +19% | 31,770 |
| Alaska | $52K | +15% | 3,440 |
| Washington | $51K | +12% | 49,050 |
| North Dakota | $50K | +11% | 8,440 |
| Massachusetts | $50K | +11% | 47,940 |
| Oregon | $50K | +11% | 27,980 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | +9% | 12,740 |
| New Jersey | $49K | +8% | 65,130 |
| California | $48K | +8% | 311,490 |
| Vermont | $48K | +7% | 5,100 |
| Connecticut | $48K | +7% | 23,190 |
| Minnesota | $48K | +6% | 55,530 |
| Rhode Island | $48K | +6% | 7,700 |
| Maryland | $47K | +5% | 27,290 |
| Montana | $46K | +3% | 10,390 |
| Arizona | $46K | +3% | 52,710 |
| Virginia | $46K | +3% | 66,550 |
| New York | $46K | +2% | 134,280 |
| Illinois | $46K | +2% | 95,980 |
| Nevada | $45K | +1% | 20,430 |
| Maine | $45K | +1% | 11,260 |
| Wisconsin | $45K | -0% | 51,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $45K | -0% | 107,500 |
| Idaho | $45K | -0% | 20,790 |
| Michigan | $45K | -0% | 88,030 |
| Indiana | $45K | -1% | 58,480 |
| Florida | $44K | -1% | 189,700 |
| Iowa | $44K | -2% | 23,120 |
| Utah | $44K | -2% | 36,470 |
| Ohio | $44K | -3% | 89,310 |
| Wyoming | $43K | -5% | 6,670 |
| Delaware | $43K | -5% | 7,230 |
| Missouri | $42K | -6% | 56,050 |
| Hawaii | $42K | -6% | 12,930 |
| North Carolina | $42K | -7% | 67,930 |
| Georgia | $41K | -10% | 75,390 |
| Texas | $39K | -13% | 218,470 |
| Tennessee | $39K | -14% | 49,880 |
| South Dakota | $39K | -14% | 1,720 |
| Kentucky | $38K | -16% | 29,750 |
| Nebraska | $38K | -16% | 10,000 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -17% | 31,870 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -18% | 11,880 |
| Arkansas | $37K | -18% | 29,940 |
| South Carolina | $37K | -18% | 42,250 |
| West Virginia | $35K | -22% | 9,430 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -22% | 17,600 |
| Louisiana | $32K | -28% | 31,790 |
| Kansas | $32K | -28% | 2,130 |
| Alabama | $31K | -31% | 13,130 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track office clerks, general salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Salinas numbers change.
Related careers in Office & Admin
Frequently asked questions
Can a office clerks, general afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salinas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 81.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,684/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for office clerks, generals in Salinas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new office clerks, generals typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,168/month. At HUD’s $2,684/month FMR, rent would take 124% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is office clerks, general a high-paying job in Salinas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $48K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Salinas compare to the national average for office clerks, generals?
Salinas pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.04), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do office clerks, generals make in Salinas, CA?
The median is $48,340 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,140, and experienced office clerks, generals can clear $68,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Salinas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,307/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,684/month, which eats 81.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a office clerks, general salary go in Salinas?
Salinas has a Regional Price Parity of 109.04 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median office clerks, general salary is worth about $44,332 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do office clerks, generals get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.