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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is $51,800/year ($24.9/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $47,610 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 92.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $52K get you in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Maria-Santa Barbara’s Regional Price Parity (108.8). 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.
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What this looks like in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive pay in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara tracks closely to the national median, $52K locally vs. $48K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 88.7% 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 108.8), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $54K | $47K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $62K | $54K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $53K | $50K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $55K | $49K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Entry-level secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $39K spread from bottom to top.
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $60K | +26% | 11,800 |
| Massachusetts | $58K | +22% | 37,750 |
| Washington | $57K | +21% | 31,710 |
| Connecticut | $57K | +20% | 22,650 |
| California | $55K | +17% | 158,630 |
| Rhode Island | $52K | +10% | 5,200 |
| Oregon | $52K | +9% | 23,150 |
| Minnesota | $51K | +8% | 31,330 |
| Hawaii | $51K | +7% | 7,020 |
| New Jersey | $50K | +6% | 65,960 |
| Maine | $50K | +5% | 6,740 |
| New York | $50K | +4% | 122,490 |
| Vermont | $49K | +3% | 3,360 |
| Colorado | $49K | +2% | 29,120 |
| Maryland | $49K | +2% | 54,890 |
| Alaska | $49K | +2% | 5,390 |
| Illinois | $48K | +2% | 74,280 |
| New Hampshire | $48K | +1% | 9,050 |
| Delaware | $48K | +1% | 6,320 |
| Arizona | $48K | +1% | 31,220 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | +0% | 28,100 |
| Virginia | $48K | +0% | 31,580 |
| North Dakota | $47K | -0% | 5,800 |
| Utah | $47K | -1% | 14,870 |
| Nebraska | $47K | -2% | 16,240 |
| Nevada | $47K | -2% | 16,790 |
| New Mexico | $46K | -2% | 25,430 |
| Pennsylvania | $46K | -3% | 65,310 |
| Ohio | $46K | -3% | 54,790 |
| Michigan | $46K | -3% | 40,830 |
| Florida | $46K | -3% | 104,000 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -4% | 34,580 |
| North Carolina | $46K | -4% | 43,690 |
| Wyoming | $45K | -4% | 2,250 |
| Iowa | $45K | -5% | 12,830 |
| Texas | $45K | -5% | 149,650 |
| South Carolina | $45K | -6% | 30,180 |
| Indiana | $44K | -7% | 20,100 |
| Kentucky | $44K | -7% | 18,420 |
| Montana | $44K | -8% | 4,520 |
| Idaho | $44K | -8% | 7,570 |
| Missouri | $44K | -8% | 33,180 |
| Kansas | $42K | -11% | 32,120 |
| South Dakota | $42K | -12% | 6,120 |
| Alabama | $42K | -12% | 45,050 |
| Georgia | $42K | -12% | 44,430 |
| West Virginia | $40K | -15% | 8,820 |
| Oklahoma | $40K | -17% | 20,120 |
| Louisiana | $39K | -18% | 28,040 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -21% | 8,590 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -21% | 14,720 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 88.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,124/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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
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 $2,252/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 139% 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $52K locally vs. $48K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara compare to the national average for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $51,800 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,540, and experienced secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executives can clear $76,890. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,522/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 88.7% 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara has a Regional Price Parity of 108.8 (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 $47,610 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.