Executive Assistant salary in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA
Hiring an executive assistant costs less in Riverside-San Bernardino than in California or the country as a whole. The median is $73,290 a year1: 17.7% below the California statewide median of $89,000 and 4.3% below the US median of $76,590. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#91 of 509). About 4,140 executive assistants work here, 7% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-6011, area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Riverside-San Bernardino against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $50,800 | $73,290 | $103,860 | |
| California | $58,060 | $89,000 | $130,510 | |
| United States | $50,560 | $76,590 | $109,850 |
The middle half of executive assistants in Riverside-San Bernardino earns $52,250–$88,550. The top tenth earns $103,860 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.2 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $36,300 wide, wider than in California as a whole ($34,980) and the US ($33,000), so what a executive assistant earns in Riverside-San Bernardino depends more on the employer.
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 | $50,800 | $4,233 | $24.42 | $65,548 |
| 25th percentile | $52,250 | $4,354 | $25.12 | $67,419 |
| Median | $73,290 | $6,108 | $35.24 | $94,568 |
| 75th percentile | $88,550 | $7,379 | $42.57 | $114,258 |
| 90th percentile | $103,860 | $8,655 | $49.93 | $134,013 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $15,260 a year in pay and about $19,690 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $21,040 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 median and the 75th percentile in Riverside-San Bernardino, and the California statewide median of $89,000 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles.
What a hire really costs in Riverside-San Bernardino
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 $21,278 to the $73,290 median and brings it to $94,568 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 $94,568 a local hire costs here, you could cover about 6.5 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 Riverside-San Bernardino
Of the 17 roles we track in Riverside-San Bernardino, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between office managers ($73,640) and marketing specialists ($69,840). Project Coordinator is the highest at $100,770.
| Role | Median | vs executive assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | +4.5% | 7,210 | |
| Office Manager | +0.5% | 13,240 | |
| Executive Assistant | this role | 4,140 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -4.7% | 5,280 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -15.1% | 9,270 |
Measured against the US median, executive assistants rank #15 of the 17 roles we track in Riverside-San Bernardino (-4.3%), between paralegals (-2.3%) and sales development representatives (-11.1%). The typical role here is at +3.3%, so, measured against the US, executive assistants cost less in Riverside-San Bernardino than the area's general pay level would suggest. Executive assistants hold 3.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Riverside-San Bernardino, 3.6% across California and 2.9% 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 $64,470 in Hanford-Corcoran to $106,220 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $41,750 a year. All 4 areas in California with more executive assistants than Riverside-San Bernardino also pay more, among them Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($82,850) and San Francisco-Oakland, CA ($105,190).
| Area | Median | vs Riverside-San Bernardino | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California (Nonmetro) | +3.3% | 160 | |
| Visalia, CA | +1.6% | 240 | |
| North Coast Region of California (Nonmetro) | +1.0% | 240 | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | this area | 4,140 | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | -0.6% | 650 | |
| Redding, CA | -7.2% | 250 | |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | -12.0% | 70 |
Riverside-San Bernardino against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Riverside-San Bernardino is #20 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, Raleigh-Cary and Springfield pay just above Riverside-San Bernardino and Duluth and Burlington-South Burlington just below. All four are within $220 a year of the median in Riverside-San Bernardino. Of the three markets with about as many executive assistants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Riverside-San Bernardino | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | +7.4% | 3,880 | jobs | |
| Detroit-Warren, MI | +2.3% | 3,670 | jobs | |
| Springfield, IL | +0.3% | 830 | pay | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | +0.3% | n/a | pay | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | this area | 4,140 | ||
| Duluth, MN-WI | -0.0% | 200 | pay | |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | -0.1% | 300 | pay | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | -13.4% | 3,990 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA?
About $94,568 a year at the median, or $7,881 a month: $73,290 in pay plus about $21,278 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do executive assistants earn in Riverside-San Bernardino?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $73,290 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $50,800, the 90th $103,860, and the middle half earned $52,250 to $88,550.
Is Riverside-San Bernardino cheaper than the rest of California for executive assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $73,290 against $89,000 statewide. The next area up in California is the North Coast Region of California nonmetro area at $74,030, the next down Bakersfield-Delano at $72,860.
How many executive assistants work in Riverside-San Bernardino?
BLS counts about 4,140 in the May 2025 survey. That is 7% of the California total of 59,640. 4 areas in California have more; the closest in size is San Diego-Chula Vista, with about 4,510.
Does an executive assistant cost more than a marketing specialist in Riverside-San Bernardino?
Yes: $3,450 a year more at the median. The medians are $73,290 and $69,840.
What does a remote executive assistant cost compared with Riverside-San Bernardino?
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 $94,568 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.