HR Assistant salary in San Francisco-Oakland, CA
Budget above the national rate here. The median HR assistant in San Francisco-Oakland earned $66,550 a year in May 20251, 15.6% above the California statewide median of $57,590 and 31.5% above the US median of $50,610. Nationally that is #2 of 384 areas, in the top tenth. About 1,300 HR assistants work here, 11% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-4161, area San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in San Francisco-Oakland against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland, CA | $50,180 | $66,550 | $89,860 | |
| California | $41,300 | $57,590 | $78,370 | |
| United States | $37,340 | $50,610 | $68,280 |
The middle half of HR assistants in San Francisco-Oakland earns $57,900–$78,500. The top tenth earns $89,860 or more, 1.8 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.8 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $20,600 wide, wider than in California as a whole ($17,090) and the US ($15,770), so what a HR assistant earns in San Francisco-Oakland depends more on the employer.
What to budget for an HR assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $50,180 | $4,182 | $24.12 | $64,748 |
| 25th percentile | $57,900 | $4,825 | $27.84 | $74,710 |
| Median | $66,550 | $5,546 | $32.00 | $85,871 |
| 75th percentile | $78,500 | $6,542 | $37.74 | $101,290 |
| 90th percentile | $89,860 | $7,488 | $43.20 | $115,948 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $8,650 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $11,950, or about $15,419 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 $50,610 falls between the 10th and 25th percentiles in San Francisco-Oakland, and the California statewide median of $57,590 falls there too. An offer at the national rate would be lower than what three quarters of local HR assistants earn.
What a hire really costs in San Francisco-Oakland
At the $66,550 median, a local hire costs about $85,871 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $19,321 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 HR 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 San Francisco-Oakland
Of the 17 roles we track in San Francisco-Oakland, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($80,510) and bookkeepers ($65,530). Project Coordinator is the highest at $135,040.
| Role | Median | vs HR assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +26.3% | 7,630 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +21.0% | 2,260 | |
| HR Assistant | this role | 1,300 | |
| Bookkeeper | -1.5% | 18,100 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -6.7% | 20,270 |
Measured against the US median, HR assistants rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in San Francisco-Oakland (+31.5%), between project coordinators (+32.0%) and administrative assistants (+30.6%). The typical role here is at +32.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. HR assistants hold 0.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in San Francisco-Oakland, 0.7% across California and 0.6% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in California
Across the 27 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $44,870 in Hanford-Corcoran to $67,590 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $22,720 a year. The one area in California with more HR assistants, Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($57,600), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs San Francisco-Oakland | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA | +1.6% | 560 | |
| San Francisco-Oakland, CA | this area | 1,300 | |
| Vallejo, CA | -7.0% | 90 | |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | -7.4% | 60 | |
| Napa, CA | -7.8% | 40 | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | -11.9% | 640 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | -12.6% | 190 |
San Francisco-Oakland against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, San Francisco-Oakland is #11 of 382 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. No metro area outside California pays HR assistants more than San Francisco-Oakland; the table shows the next highest outside California. Of the three markets with about as many HR assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs San Francisco-Oakland | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland, CA | this area | 1,300 | ||
| Rochester, MN | -9.0% | 200 | pay | |
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | -9.2% | 1,480 | pay | |
| Lexington Park, MD | -9.9% | 40 | pay | |
| Corvallis, OR | -10.0% | 40 | pay | |
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | -13.7% | 1,150 | jobs | |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA | -26.7% | 1,360 | jobs | |
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | -31.4% | 1,330 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an HR assistant in San Francisco-Oakland, CA?
About $85,871 a year at the median, or $7,156 a month: $66,550 in pay plus about $19,321 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do HR assistants earn in San Francisco-Oakland?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $66,550 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $50,180, the 90th $89,860, and the middle half earned $57,900 to $78,500.
Is San Francisco-Oakland cheaper than the rest of California for HR assistants?
No, it costs more: a median of $66,550 against $57,590 statewide. The next area up in California is San Jose-Sunnyvale at $67,590, the next down Vallejo at $61,870.
How many HR assistants work in San Francisco-Oakland?
BLS counts about 1,300 in the May 2025 survey. That is 11% of the California total of 11,490. Only Los Angeles-Long Beach has more in California.
Does an HR assistant cost more than a bookkeeper in San Francisco-Oakland?
Yes: $1,020 a year more at the median. The medians are $66,550 and $65,530.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4161: 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.