Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Salary
The median pay for a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive in California is $55,400/year ($26.64/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $52,195 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 68.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $55K get you in California?
About secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives
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What this looks like in California
California sits well above the national pay line for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 66% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $40K spread from bottom to top.
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $63K | +14% | 7,970 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $62K | +12% | 20,270 |
| Napa | $59K | +6% | 630 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $58K | +4% | 2,150 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $58K | +4% | 960 |
| Salinas | $57K | +4% | 1,500 |
| Vallejo | $56K | +2% | 1,110 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $55K | -0% | 12,070 |
| Modesto | $55K | -0% | 1,830 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $55K | -1% | 8,450 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $54K | -2% | 2,980 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $54K | -2% | 300 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $54K | -3% | 2,310 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $54K | -3% | 58,800 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $53K | -4% | 13,210 |
| Visalia | $52K | -6% | 1,390 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $52K | -6% | 1,930 |
| Merced | $52K | -7% | 620 |
| Yuba City | $51K | -7% | 520 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $51K | -8% | 1,170 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $51K | -8% | 2,730 |
| Fresno | $50K | -10% | 3,870 |
| Redding | $50K | -10% | 580 |
| Chico | $50K | -10% | 810 |
| El Centro | $49K | -11% | 540 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 66% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,284/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 108% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive a high-paying job in California?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $55K here vs. $48K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does California compare to the national average for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives?
California pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives make in California?
The median is $55,400 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,060, and experienced secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives can clear $78,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,745/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 66% 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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary is worth about $52,195 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives 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.