Administrative Assistant salary in Bakersfield-Delano, CA
Bakersfield-Delano pays administrative assistants less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $50,960 a year1: 8.0% below the California statewide median of $55,400 and 7.2% above the US median of $47,540. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#61 of 520). BLS counts about 2,730 people in this job here, 2% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Bakersfield-Delano, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Bakersfield-Delano against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $37,440 | $50,960 | $69,040 | |
| California | $38,060 | $55,400 | $78,170 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Bakersfield-Delano earns $44,710–$61,540. The top tenth earns $69,040 or more, 1.8 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $16,830 wide, against $19,010 across California and $19,170 nationally: employers in Bakersfield-Delano pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an administrative assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,440 | $3,120 | $18.00 | $48,310 |
| 25th percentile | $44,710 | $3,726 | $21.50 | $57,690 |
| Median | $50,960 | $4,247 | $24.50 | $65,755 |
| 75th percentile | $61,540 | $5,128 | $29.59 | $79,406 |
| 90th percentile | $69,040 | $5,753 | $33.19 | $89,084 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $10,580 over the median, the 25th only $6,250 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $13,652 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $47,540 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Bakersfield-Delano, and the California statewide median of $55,400 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Bakersfield-Delano
At the $50,960 median, a local hire costs about $65,755 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $14,795 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for administrative assistants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Bakersfield-Delano
Of the 17 roles we track in Bakersfield-Delano, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between HR assistants ($51,570) and e-commerce order specialists ($50,530). Project Coordinator is the highest at $104,580.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +4.3% | 2,580 | |
| HR Assistant | +1.2% | 230 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 2,730 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -0.8% | 130 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -6.9% | 1,670 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in Bakersfield-Delano (+7.2%), between data entry specialists (+8.3%) and customer support specialists (+5.7%). The typical role here is at +2.2%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in Bakersfield-Delano than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 12.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Bakersfield-Delano, 9.5% across California and 10.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $49,150 in El Centro to $62,940 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $13,790 a year. Of the 8 areas in California with more administrative assistants than Bakersfield-Delano, 1 pays less: Fresno, CA ($50,100).
| Area | Median | vs Bakersfield-Delano | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CA | +1.5% | 620 | |
| Yuba City, CA | +1.0% | 520 | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | +0.1% | 1,170 | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | this area | 2,730 | |
| Fresno, CA | -1.7% | 3,870 | |
| Redding, CA | -2.0% | 580 | |
| Chico, CA | -2.3% | 810 |
Bakersfield-Delano against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Bakersfield-Delano is #106 of 520 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside California, Boulder and Amherst Town-Northampton pay just above Bakersfield-Delano and Wenatchee-East Wenatchee and Ann Arbor just below. All four are within $360 a year of the median in Bakersfield-Delano. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Bakersfield-Delano | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | +0.3% | 1,250 | pay | |
| Boulder, CO | +0.2% | 1,510 | pay | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | this area | 2,730 | ||
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | -0.5% | 520 | pay | |
| Ann Arbor, MI | -0.7% | 2,290 | pay | |
| Provo-Orem, UT | -9.5% | 2,650 | jobs | |
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA | -13.1% | 2,670 | jobs | |
| Tallahassee, FL | -21.8% | 2,620 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?
About $65,755 a year at the median, or $5,480 a month: $50,960 in pay plus about $14,795 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in Bakersfield-Delano?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $50,960 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,440, the 90th $69,040, and the middle half earned $44,710 to $61,540.
Is Bakersfield-Delano cheaper than the rest of California for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $50,960 against $55,400 statewide. The next area up in California is San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles at $51,010, the next down Fresno at $50,100.
How many administrative assistants work in Bakersfield-Delano?
BLS counts about 2,730 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the California total of 158,630. 8 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, with about 2,980.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Bakersfield-Delano?
Yes: $430 a year more at the median. The medians are $50,960 and $50,530.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6014: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.