Secretaries and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Salary Information in California

The average annual salaries for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive in the state of California are shown in Table 1. The comparison of the salary statistics of secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive among California metropolitan areas is shown in Table 2. The salary statistics are based on the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1 & 2. Annual Salary of Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in California (2022 Survey)

Percentile bracketAverage annual salary
10th Percentile Wage
$35,340
25th Percentile Wage
$40,240
50th Percentile Wage
$48,550
75th Percentile Wage
$59,750
90th Percentile Wage
$69,660

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive in California in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $69,660. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $48,550. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $35,340.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$48,550
3.36% 23.98%
2021
$46,920
4.62% -
2020
$44,750
2.55% -
2019
$43,610
3.12% -
2018
$42,250
4.17% -
2017
$40,490
2.52% -
2016
$39,470
2.86% -
2015
$38,340
2.22% -
2014
$37,490
1.44% -
2013
$36,950
0.11% -
2012
$36,910
- -

Table 3. Median Annual Salary of Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in California Cities (2022 Survey)

Table 3 shows the median annual salary of secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive in some California cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive in state of California ranges from $35,510 to $58,040. The highest paying area for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive in California is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara with a median annual salary of $58,040. The second highest paying city/area in California State is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont (mean annual salary $57,440). The lowest paying area is Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area with a median annual salary of $35,510.

Cities/Areas Median Annual Salary
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
$58,040
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
$57,440
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
$49,920
Napa
$49,650
Vallejo-Fairfield
$48,690
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City
$48,470
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
$48,390
Salinas
$48,220
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
$48,150
Stockton
$47,710
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
$47,300
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
$47,270
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
$47,230
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos
$47,090
Hanford-Corcoran
$46,950
Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville
$46,940
Modesto
$46,910
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$46,600
Visalia-Porterville
$46,080
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$46,050
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
$45,870
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward
$45,610
Yuba City
$45,570
Bakersfield-Delano
$45,510
Merced
$45,120
El Centro
$45,030
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$44,960
Madera-Chowchilla
$44,690
Fresno
$44,560
Chico
$44,510
Redding
$44,140
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale
$39,940
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta
$39,870
Eastern Sierra Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$38,160
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine
$37,970
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana
$37,270
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$36,940
North Valley Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$36,620
Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$35,510