Administrative Assistant salary in Salinas, CA
Budget above the national rate here. The median administrative assistant in Salinas earned $57,340 a year in May 20251, 3.5% above the California statewide median of $55,400 and 20.6% above the US median of $47,540. Nationally that is #12 of 520 areas, in the top tenth. BLS counts about 1,500 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Salinas, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Salinas against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas, CA | $39,520 | $57,340 | $76,720 | |
| California | $38,060 | $55,400 | $78,170 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Salinas earns $46,920–$65,880. The top tenth earns $76,720 or more, 1.9 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 $18,960 wide, against $19,010 across California and $19,170 nationally: employers in Salinas 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 | $39,520 | $3,293 | $19.00 | $50,994 |
| 25th percentile | $46,920 | $3,910 | $22.56 | $60,542 |
| Median | $57,340 | $4,778 | $27.57 | $73,987 |
| 75th percentile | $65,880 | $5,490 | $31.67 | $85,006 |
| 90th percentile | $76,720 | $6,393 | $36.88 | $98,994 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $10,420 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $8,540, or about $11,019 once benefits are added. 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 Salinas, and the California statewide median of $55,400 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Salinas
At the $57,340 median, a local hire costs about $73,987 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $16,647 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 Salinas
Of the 17 roles we track in Salinas, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($59,180) and sales development representatives ($53,140). Project Coordinator is the highest at $102,400.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +3.8% | 270 | |
| Bookkeeper | +3.2% | 1,270 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,500 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -7.3% | 830 | |
| HR Assistant | -7.6% | 130 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 17 roles we track in Salinas (+20.6%); sales development representatives come last (-24.1%). The typical role here is at +4.7%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in Salinas than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 13.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Salinas, 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 13 areas in California with more administrative assistants than Salinas, 10 pay less, the largest of them Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($53,550), Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($52,920) and San Diego-Chula Vista, CA ($55,380).
| Area | Median | vs Salinas | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | +2.6% | 630 | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | +0.7% | 2,150 | |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | +0.3% | 960 | |
| Salinas, CA | this area | 1,500 | |
| Vallejo, CA | -1.9% | 1,110 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | -3.4% | 12,070 | |
| Modesto, CA | -3.8% | 1,830 |
Salinas against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Salinas is #219 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside California, Bridgeport-Stamford and Longview-Kelso pay just above Salinas and Mount Vernon-Anacortes and Hartford-West Hartford just below. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Salinas | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longview-Kelso, WA | +0.4% | 430 | pay | |
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | +0.2% | 5,800 | pay | |
| Salinas, CA | this area | 1,500 | ||
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | -0.6% | 510 | pay | |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | -2.4% | 6,980 | pay | |
| Boulder, CO | -11.0% | 1,510 | jobs | |
| Utica-Rome, NY | -19.6% | 1,490 | jobs | |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY | -33.2% | 1,510 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Salinas, CA?
About $73,987 a year at the median, or $6,166 a month: $57,340 in pay plus about $16,647 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Salinas?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $57,340 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,520, the 90th $76,720, and the middle half earned $46,920 to $65,880.
Is Salinas cheaper than the rest of California for administrative assistants?
No, it costs more: a median of $57,340 against $55,400 statewide. The next area up in California is Santa Cruz-Watsonville at $57,510, the next down Vallejo at $56,270.
How many administrative assistants work in Salinas?
BLS counts about 1,500 in the May 2025 survey. 13 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Modesto, with about 1,830.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a sales development representative in Salinas?
Yes: $4,200 a year more at the median. The medians are $57,340 and $53,140.
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.