Cost of hiring in Chico, CA
BLS counts about 6,010 people in these 17 roles in Chico1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($103,320 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($40,070), and Administrative Assistant is the largest job, with about 810 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Chico
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Receptionist | +5.4% | 370 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +4.8% | 810 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +3.2% | 630 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +2.7% | 600 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +2.5% | 80 | |
| Office Manager | +1.3% | 660 | |
| HR Assistant | +1.0% | 40 | |
| Project Coordinator | +1.0% | 320 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +0.9% | 50 | |
| Bookkeeper | +0.1% | 730 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -0.9% | 50 | |
| Executive Assistant | -1.1% | 170 | |
| Recruiter | -2.7% | 310 | |
| Accountant | -7.2% | 420 | |
| Paralegal | -7.3% | 90 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -10.1% | 320 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -29.0% | 360 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $49,810 median for administrative assistants, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $64,271 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Chico against the US
Chico pays above the US median for 7 of the 17 roles, most of all for virtual receptionists (+5.4%) and administrative assistants (+4.8%), and below it for 6, furthest for sales development representatives (-29.0%). For project coordinators, data entry specialists, bookkeepers and e-commerce order specialists it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is +0.9%: overall, pay here is close to the US level. Its best national standing is for executive assistants, #63 of 509 areas by median pay; its lowest is for sales development representatives, #435 of 520.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Chico has more e-commerce order specialists (0.8% of these jobs here, against 0.5% nationally) and medical administrative assistants (10.5% against 6.1%), and fewer paralegals (1.5% against 2.5%) and customer support specialists (10.0% against 16.4%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA is nearest, at +0.7%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington Park, MD | +1.2% | 14 | 6,240 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | +1.2% | 17 | 19,610 |
| Chico, CA | +0.9% (this area) | 17 | 6,010 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA | +0.7% | 17 | 326,670 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | +0.7% | 17 | 25,620 |
| Yakima, WA | +0.6% | 15 | 7,020 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Chico span $35,300–$134,380, the widest band (3.8×); virtual receptionists the narrowest, $35,010–$50,610. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 14 of 17 roles, paralegals most ($44,740–$101,500 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, project coordinators, accountants and 2 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($68,040 against a $49,670 median for sales development representatives).
Chico against California
Against California as a whole, Chico pays less for every one of the 17 roles with a statewide figure. It comes closest for e-commerce order specialists (-3.2%) and is furthest below for sales development representatives (-38.6%). It has the lowest median in California for paralegals.
Other areas in California
By jobs in these roles, Chico is #21 of 28 areas in California. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Visalia to El Centro.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Visalia, CA | 10,080 | 17 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 9,830 | 17 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 8,310 | 17 |
| North Coast Region of California (Nonmetro) | 7,960 | 16 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California (Nonmetro) | 7,880 | 17 |
| Napa, CA | 5,760 | 17 |
| Redding, CA | 5,630 | 16 |
| Merced, CA | 4,770 | 16 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California (Nonmetro) | 4,400 | 14 |
| El Centro, CA | 3,630 | 16 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Chico?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $103,320 a year, about $133,316 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $40,070.
Is hiring in Chico cheaper than the US median?
For 6 of the 17 roles, yes, most of all sales development representatives (-29.0%). 7 pay more than the US median, led by virtual receptionists (+5.4%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.