Cost of hiring in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
BLS counts about 17,520 people in these 17 roles in Santa Rosa-Petaluma1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($107,340 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($45,550), and Administrative Assistant is the largest job, with about 2,150 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Santa Rosa-Petaluma
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +31.2% | 1,190 | |
| Paralegal | +24.3% | 290 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +21.4% | 2,150 | |
| Bookkeeper | +20.7% | 2,040 | |
| Executive Assistant | +20.4% | 490 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | +19.8% | 1,160 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +18.2% | 300 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +17.0% | 160 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +15.7% | 1,750 | |
| HR Assistant | +14.2% | 90 | |
| Accountant | +13.2% | 1,740 | |
| Office Manager | +9.8% | 1,730 | |
| Recruiter | +7.4% | 920 | |
| Project Coordinator | +4.9% | 1,000 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +0.1% | 960 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -0.9% | 220 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -4.4% | 1,330 |
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 $57,720 median for administrative assistants, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $74,477 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Santa Rosa-Petaluma against the US
Santa Rosa-Petaluma pays above the US median for 14 of the 17 roles, most of all for medical administrative assistants (+31.2%) and paralegals (+24.3%), and below it only for sales development representatives (-4.4%). For marketing specialists and e-commerce order specialists it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is +15.7%: for most of these roles, hiring costs more here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for payroll specialists, #3 of 486 areas by median pay; its lowest is for e-commerce order specialists, #107 of 287.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Santa Rosa-Petaluma has more e-commerce order specialists (1.3% of these jobs here, against 0.5% nationally) and payroll specialists (1.7% against 1.0%), and fewer customer support specialists (10.0% against 16.4%) and paralegals (1.7% against 2.5%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH is nearest, at +15.6%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | +19.4% | 17 | 209,690 |
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | +16.2% | 17 | 1,091,890 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | +15.7% (this area) | 17 | 17,520 |
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | +15.6% | 17 | 302,950 |
| Boulder, CO | +13.5% | 17 | 23,510 |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | +12.6% | 17 | 13,500 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Santa Rosa-Petaluma span $42,960–$126,810, the widest band (3.0×); e-commerce order specialists the narrowest, $41,810–$61,390. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 10 of 17 roles, sales development representatives most ($37,980–$148,840 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, marketing specialists, e-commerce order specialists and 2 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($76,860 against a $66,890 median for sales development representatives).
Santa Rosa-Petaluma against California
Against California as a whole, Santa Rosa-Petaluma pays more for 8 of 17 roles, led by medical administrative assistants (+10.6%) and payroll specialists (+5.4%), and less for 7, most of all sales development representatives (-17.3%). Its best rank within California is #3 of 28 areas, for executive assistants.
Other areas in California
By jobs in these roles, Santa Rosa-Petaluma is #11 of 28 areas in California. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Sacramento-Roseville to Visalia.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | 97,010 | 17 |
| Fresno, CA | 35,190 | 17 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | 27,360 | 17 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 21,340 | 17 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 18,600 | 17 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 15,920 | 17 |
| Modesto, CA | 14,480 | 17 |
| Salinas, CA | 11,130 | 17 |
| Vallejo, CA | 10,190 | 17 |
| Visalia, CA | 10,080 | 17 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $107,340 a year, about $138,503 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $45,550.
Is hiring in Santa Rosa-Petaluma cheaper than the US median?
For one of the 17 roles, yes: sales development representatives (-4.4%). 14 pay more than the US median, led by medical administrative assistants (+31.2%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.