Administrative Assistant salary in Merced, CA
Merced pays administrative assistants less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $51,710 a year1: 6.7% below the California statewide median of $55,400 and 8.8% above the US median of $47,540. Only 49 of 520 US areas pay more for this job. About 620 administrative assistants work here.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Merced, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Merced against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CA | $37,850 | $51,710 | $74,560 | |
| California | $38,060 | $55,400 | $78,170 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Merced earns $43,910–$61,320. The top tenth earns $74,560 or more, 2.0 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 $17,410 wide, against $19,010 across California and $19,170 nationally: employers in Merced 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 | $37,850 | $3,154 | $18.20 | $48,839 |
| 25th percentile | $43,910 | $3,659 | $21.11 | $56,658 |
| Median | $51,710 | $4,309 | $24.86 | $66,723 |
| 75th percentile | $61,320 | $5,110 | $29.48 | $79,123 |
| 90th percentile | $74,560 | $6,213 | $35.85 | $96,206 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $9,610 a year in pay and about $12,400 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,800 in pay. 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 Merced, and the California statewide median of $55,400 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Merced
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $15,013 to the $51,710 median and brings it to $66,723 a year. 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 Merced
Of the 16 roles we track in Merced, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($51,740) and sales development representatives ($49,000). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,850.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +1.7% | 60 | |
| Bookkeeper | +0.1% | 680 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 620 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -5.2% | 330 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -9.8% | 350 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 16 roles we track in Merced (+8.8%); sales development representatives come last (-30.0%). The typical role here is at +1.8%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in Merced than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 13.0% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Merced, 9.6% 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 22 areas in California with more administrative assistants than Merced, 4 pay less, the largest of them Fresno, CA ($50,100), Bakersfield-Delano, CA ($50,960) and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA ($51,010).
| Area | Median | vs Merced | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visalia, CA | +0.4% | 1,390 | |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California (Nonmetro) | +0.4% | 1,160 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +0.2% | 1,930 | |
| Merced, CA | this area | 620 | |
| Yuba City, CA | -0.4% | 520 | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | -1.4% | 1,170 | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | -1.5% | 2,730 |
Merced against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Merced is #420 of 520 US areas for this job. The market is small, but its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside California, Providence-Warwick and Bloomington pay just above Merced and Walla Walla and Springfield just below. All four are within $250 a year of the median in Merced. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Merced | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IL | +0.3% | 930 | pay | |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | +0.2% | 7,020 | pay | |
| Merced, CA | this area | 620 | ||
| Walla Walla, WA | -0.1% | 290 | pay | |
| Springfield, MA | -0.5% | 1,900 | pay | |
| Ames, IA | -5.7% | 620 | jobs | |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | -7.4% | 630 | jobs | |
| Chambersburg, PA | -12.2% | 620 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Merced, CA?
About $66,723 a year at the median, or $5,560 a month: $51,710 in pay plus about $15,013 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in Merced?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $51,710 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,850, the 90th $74,560, and the middle half earned $43,910 to $61,320.
Is Merced cheaper than the rest of California for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $51,710 against $55,400 statewide. The next area up in California is Santa Maria-Santa Barbara at $51,800, the next down Yuba City at $51,480.
How many administrative assistants work in Merced?
BLS counts about 620 in the May 2025 survey. 22 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Napa, with about 630.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a sales development representative in Merced?
Yes: $2,710 a year more at the median. The medians are $51,710 and $49,000.
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.