Executive Assistant salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
The median executive assistant in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara earned $82,740 a year in May 20251. That is 8.0% above the US median of $76,590, even though it is 7.0% below the California statewide median of $89,000. Only 14 of 509 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 460 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-6011, 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 | $58,960 | $82,740 | $120,950 | |
| California | $58,060 | $89,000 | $130,510 | |
| United States | $50,560 | $76,590 | $109,850 |
The middle half of executive assistants in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara earns $71,550–$100,370. The top tenth earns $120,950 or more, 2.1 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.2 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $28,820 wide, against $34,980 across California and $33,000 nationally: employers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara 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 | $58,960 | $4,913 | $28.35 | $76,077 |
| 25th percentile | $71,550 | $5,962 | $34.40 | $92,323 |
| Median | $82,740 | $6,895 | $39.78 | $106,761 |
| 75th percentile | $100,370 | $8,364 | $48.25 | $129,510 |
| 90th percentile | $120,950 | $10,079 | $58.15 | $156,065 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $17,630 over the median, the 25th only $11,190 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $22,748 a year in employer cost. 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, and the California statewide median of $89,000 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
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 $24,021 to the $82,740 median and brings it to $106,761 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 $106,761 a local hire costs here, you could cover about 7.4 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Of the 17 roles we track in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($91,610) and paralegals ($80,930). Project Coordinator is the highest at $106,250.
| Role | Median | vs executive assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +28.4% | 1,030 | |
| Accountant | +10.7% | 1,510 | |
| Executive Assistant | this role | 460 | |
| Paralegal | -2.2% | 360 | |
| Recruiter | -2.9% | 870 |
Measured against the US median, executive assistants rank #9 of the 17 roles we track in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara (+8.0%), between medical administrative assistants (+8.3%) and recruiters (+5.8%). The typical role here is at +8.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Executive assistants hold 2.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, 3.6% across California and 2.9% 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 $64,470 in Hanford-Corcoran to $106,220 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $41,750 a year. Of the 12 areas in California with more executive assistants than Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, 6 pay less, the largest of them Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($73,290), Fresno, CA ($77,610) and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA ($82,250).
| Area | Median | vs Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | +2.2% | 4,510 | |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | +1.6% | 260 | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +0.1% | 20,850 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | this area | 460 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | -0.6% | 740 | |
| Merced, CA | -2.5% | 150 | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | -3.6% | 310 |
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara is #121 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, New York-Newark and Kahului-Wailuku pay just above Santa Maria-Santa Barbara and Rochester and Waterbury-Shelton just below. All four are within $1,590 a year of the median in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara. Of the three markets with about as many executive assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | +1.9% | 160 | pay | |
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | +1.3% | 76,950 | pay | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | this area | 460 | ||
| Rochester, MN | -0.6% | 150 | pay | |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | -1.3% | 430 | pay | |
| Utica-Rome, NY | -19.0% | 470 | jobs | |
| El Paso, TX | -24.5% | 450 | jobs | |
| Bloomington, IN | -50.7% | 470 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
About $106,761 a year at the median, or $8,897 a month: $82,740 in pay plus about $24,021 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do executive assistants earn in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $82,740 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $58,960, the 90th $120,950, and the middle half earned $71,550 to $100,370.
Is Santa Maria-Santa Barbara cheaper than the rest of California for executive assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $82,740 against $89,000 statewide. The next area up in California is Los Angeles-Long Beach at $82,850, the next down Oxnard-Thousand Oaks at $82,250.
How many executive assistants work in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
BLS counts about 460 in the May 2025 survey. 12 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Santa Rosa-Petaluma, with about 490.
Does an executive assistant cost more than a paralegal in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Yes: $1,810 a year more at the median. The medians are $82,740 and $80,930.
What does a remote executive assistant cost compared with Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
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 $106,761 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.