Administrative Assistant salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays administrative assistants less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $51,800 a year1: 6.5% below the California statewide median of $55,400 and 9.0% above the US median of $47,540. Nationally that is #49 of 520 areas, in the top tenth. About 1,930 administrative assistants work here, 1% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $37,540 | $51,800 | $76,890 | |
| California | $38,060 | $55,400 | $78,170 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
Administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $76,890, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of administrative assistants in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara earns $43,810–$62,920. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $19,110 wide, between the figure for California ($19,010) and the US figure ($19,170).
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 | $37,540 | $3,128 | $18.05 | $48,439 |
| 25th percentile | $43,810 | $3,651 | $21.06 | $56,529 |
| Median | $51,800 | $4,317 | $24.90 | $66,839 |
| 75th percentile | $62,920 | $5,243 | $30.25 | $81,187 |
| 90th percentile | $76,890 | $6,408 | $36.97 | $99,213 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $11,120 a year in pay and about $14,348 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,990 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, and the California statewide median of $55,400 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
At the $51,800 median, a local hire costs about $66,839 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $15,039 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Of the 17 roles we track in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($57,970) and HR assistants ($51,790). Project Coordinator is the highest at $106,250.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +16.2% | 1,900 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +11.9% | 240 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,930 | |
| HR Assistant | -0.0% | 110 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -4.0% | 1,040 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara (+9.0%), between accountants (+9.5%) and medical administrative assistants (+8.3%). The typical role here is at +8.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 12.1% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, 9.5% across California and 10.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
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 11 areas in California with more administrative assistants than Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, 2 pay less: Fresno, CA ($50,100) and Bakersfield-Delano, CA ($50,960).
| Area | Median | vs Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California (Nonmetro) | +2.2% | 560 | |
| Visalia, CA | +0.2% | 1,390 | |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California (Nonmetro) | +0.2% | 1,160 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | this area | 1,930 | |
| Merced, CA | -0.2% | 620 | |
| Yuba City, CA | -0.6% | 520 | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | -1.5% | 1,170 |
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara is #159 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, Providence-Warwick and Bloomington pay just above Santa Maria-Santa Barbara and Walla Walla and Springfield just below. All four are within $340 a year of the median in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IL | +0.2% | 930 | pay | |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | +0.0% | 7,020 | pay | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | this area | 1,930 | ||
| Walla Walla, WA | -0.3% | 290 | pay | |
| Springfield, MA | -0.7% | 1,900 | pay | |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | -16.4% | 1,980 | jobs | |
| Jefferson City, MO | -20.9% | 1,880 | jobs | |
| Lubbock, TX | -21.1% | 1,910 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
About $66,839 a year at the median, or $5,570 a month: $51,800 in pay plus about $15,039 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $51,800 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,540, the 90th $76,890, and the middle half earned $43,810 to $62,920.
Is Santa Maria-Santa Barbara cheaper than the rest of California for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $51,800 against $55,400 statewide. The next area up in California is the North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetro area at $51,910, the next down Merced at $51,710.
How many administrative assistants work in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
BLS counts about 1,930 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the California total of 158,630. 11 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Santa Rosa-Petaluma, with about 2,150.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than an HR assistant in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Yes: $10 a year more at the median. The medians are $51,800 and $51,790.
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.