Executive Assistant salary in Fresno, CA
Fresno pays executive assistants less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $77,610 a year1: 12.8% below the California statewide median of $89,000 and 1.3% above the US median of $76,590. Nationally that is #48 of 509 areas, in the top tenth. BLS counts about 880 people in this job here, 1% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-6011, area Fresno, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Fresno against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno, CA | $51,230 | $77,610 | $105,650 | |
| California | $58,060 | $89,000 | $130,510 | |
| United States | $50,560 | $76,590 | $109,850 |
Executive assistants at the 90th percentile earn $105,650, 2.1 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.2. The middle half of executive assistants in Fresno earns $62,400–$91,010. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $28,610 wide, against $34,980 across California and $33,000 nationally: employers in Fresno pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an executive assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $51,230 | $4,269 | $24.63 | $66,103 |
| 25th percentile | $62,400 | $5,200 | $30.00 | $80,516 |
| Median | $77,610 | $6,468 | $37.31 | $100,142 |
| 75th percentile | $91,010 | $7,584 | $43.75 | $117,432 |
| 90th percentile | $105,650 | $8,804 | $50.79 | $136,323 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $13,400 a year in pay and about $17,290 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $15,210 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 $76,590 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Fresno, and the California statewide median of $89,000 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Fresno
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 $22,532 to the $77,610 median and brings it to $100,142 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
Our open executive assistant roles pay $800–$1,100 a month under a direct contract. The one-time fee is $2,5003 with a 180-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month4. Change any number below to match your plan.
For the $100,142 a local hire costs here, you could cover about 6.9 remote hires in year one at the midpoint of our range. From year two the fee drops out and the remote figure is $11,988. About the candidates: most apply through our assessment platform with a written and a spoken English task; each profile shows the English level (B1–C2); Silkstaff interviews every shortlisted candidate live, in English, before you meet them.
Other roles in Fresno
Of the 17 roles we track in Fresno, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($78,690) and recruiters ($74,170). Project Coordinator is the highest at $101,030.
| Role | Median | vs executive assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +30.2% | 1,720 | |
| Accountant | +1.4% | 2,810 | |
| Executive Assistant | this role | 880 | |
| Recruiter | -4.4% | 1,770 | |
| Office Manager | -7.5% | 3,670 |
Measured against the US median, executive assistants rank #9 of the 17 roles we track in Fresno (+1.3%), between payroll specialists (+2.5%) and paralegals (-0.7%). The typical role here is at +1.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Executive assistants hold 2.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Fresno, 3.6% across California and 2.9% nationally. The job is a smaller 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 $64,470 in Hanford-Corcoran to $106,220 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $41,750 a year. Of the 6 areas in California with more executive assistants than Fresno, 1 pays less: Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($73,290).
| Area | Median | vs Fresno | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California (Nonmetro) | +1.4% | 270 | |
| Yuba City, CA | +1.0% | 130 | |
| Modesto, CA | +0.4% | 520 | |
| Fresno, CA | this area | 880 | |
| El Centro, CA | -2.0% | 70 | |
| Chico, CA | -2.4% | 170 | |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California (Nonmetro) | -2.5% | 160 |
Fresno against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Fresno is #68 of 506 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside California, Chicago-Naperville and Baltimore-Columbia pay just above Fresno and Richmond and Atlantic City-Hammonton just below. All four are within $770 a year of the median in Fresno. Of the three markets with about as many executive assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Fresno | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | +2.0% | 880 | jobs | |
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | +1.0% | 8,260 | pay | |
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | +0.2% | 10,620 | pay | |
| Fresno, CA | this area | 880 | ||
| Richmond, VA | -0.1% | 2,060 | pay | |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | -0.2% | 250 | pay | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | -18.0% | 870 | jobs | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | -18.3% | 890 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in Fresno, CA?
About $100,142 a year at the median, or $8,345 a month: $77,610 in pay plus about $22,532 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do executive assistants earn in Fresno?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $77,610 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $51,230, the 90th $105,650, and the middle half earned $62,400 to $91,010.
Is Fresno cheaper than the rest of California for executive assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $77,610 against $89,000 statewide. The next area up in California is Modesto at $77,900, the next down El Centro at $76,050.
How many executive assistants work in Fresno?
BLS counts about 880 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the California total of 59,640. 6 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Sacramento-Roseville, with about 3,530.
Does an executive assistant cost more than a recruiter in Fresno?
Yes: $3,440 a year more at the median. The medians are $77,610 and $74,170.
What does a remote executive assistant cost compared with Fresno?
Our open roles pay $800–$1,100 a month. At the midpoint, with the one-time fee and Deel, year one comes to $14,488, against about $100,142 for a local hire at the median.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6011: 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.