Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants pay in California

$56,350avg. a year
$27.09 an hour · 115,050 employed

Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in California earn an average of $56,350 a year. That is $9,550 (20%) more than the U.S. average of $46,800. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $68,750.

$54,490Median pay
$27.09Average hourly
+22%Avg. pay since 2020
#2Of 50 states + D.C.

Top-paying California metro areas

Average pay for medical secretaries and administrative assistants by metro area. Swipe to see all 25.

16,340 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$68,750
$33.05 an hour
213,660 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$64,580
$31.05 an hour
3990 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$63,880
$30.71 an hour
4510 jobs
Napa, CA
$63,500
$30.53 an hour
51,190 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$60,980
$29.32 an hour
67,710 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$57,130
$27.46 an hour
71,600 jobs
Modesto, CA
$55,310
$26.59 an hour
8840 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$55,180
$26.53 an hour
911,260 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$54,770
$26.33 an hour
10720 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$54,640
$26.27 an hour
1140,380 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$54,150
$26.04 an hour
1210,530 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$53,060
$25.51 an hour
132,460 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$53,000
$25.48 an hour
141,040 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$52,790
$25.38 an hour
15950 jobs
Salinas, CA
$52,540
$25.26 an hour
16270 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$51,580
$24.80 an hour
171,360 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$51,420
$24.72 an hour
18310 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$51,180
$24.61 an hour
193,410 jobs
Fresno, CA
$50,730
$24.39 an hour
201,670 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$50,220
$24.14 an hour
21900 jobs
Visalia, CA
$49,930
$24.01 an hour
22630 jobs
Chico, CA
$49,920
$24.00 an hour
23590 jobs
Redding, CA
$49,410
$23.75 an hour
24350 jobs
Merced, CA
$48,230
$23.19 an hour
25290 jobs
El Centro, CA
$47,560
$22.87 an hour

Why people trust JobPayFacts

Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
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Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants pay in California, charted

Pay over time

California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian

Where California medical secretaries and administrative assistants work

Employment by metro area, May 2025

Average pay by state

May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
Under $43k$43k–$46k$46k–$49k$49k+California

California vs. neighbors

Average pay, May 2025
AreaAvg. payHourly
United States$46,800$22.50
California$56,350$27.09
Oregon$52,640$25.31
Nevada$46,380$22.30
Arizona$46,330$22.28

Questions and answers

How much do medical secretaries and administrative assistants make in California?

The average is $56,350 a year, and the median is $54,490. That is $9,550 (20%) more than the U.S. average of $46,800.

What is the hourly wage in California?

$27.09 an hour on average; the median is $26.20.

Where in California do they earn the most?

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,750), followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($64,580). The lowest average among 25 metro areas with data is El Centro, CA ($47,560).

How does California rank?

California ranks #2 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.

Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 43-6013. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national medical secretaries and administrative assistants page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.