Medical Administrative Assistant salary in Salinas, CA
The median medical administrative assistant in Salinas earned $49,630 a year in May 20251. That is 8.1% above the US median of $45,930, even though it is 8.9% below the California statewide median of $54,490. Nationally that is #41 of 516 areas, in the top tenth. About 950 medical administrative assistants work here.
BLS occupation 43-6013, area Salinas, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Salinas against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas, CA | $43,850 | $49,630 | $63,620 | |
| California | $40,650 | $54,490 | $76,020 | |
| United States | $35,930 | $45,930 | $60,530 |
The middle half of medical administrative assistants in Salinas earns $46,950–$58,500. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $63,620, only 1.5 times the bottom tenth, against 1.7 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $11,550 wide, against $16,740 across California and $12,010 nationally: employers in Salinas pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a medical administrative assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,850 | $3,654 | $21.08 | $56,581 |
| 25th percentile | $46,950 | $3,912 | $22.57 | $60,581 |
| Median | $49,630 | $4,136 | $23.86 | $64,039 |
| 75th percentile | $58,500 | $4,875 | $28.12 | $75,484 |
| 90th percentile | $63,620 | $5,302 | $30.59 | $82,090 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $8,870 over the median, the 25th only $2,680 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $11,445 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 $45,930 falls between the 10th and 25th percentiles in Salinas, and the California statewide median of $54,490 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would be lower than what three quarters of local medical administrative assistants earn.
What a hire really costs in Salinas
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 $14,409 to the $49,630 median and brings it to $64,039 a year. 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 medical administrative 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 Salinas
Of the 17 roles we track in Salinas, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between HR assistants ($53,000) and customer support specialists ($48,010). Project Coordinator is the highest at $102,400.
| Role | Median | vs medical administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +7.1% | 830 | |
| HR Assistant | +6.8% | 130 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | this role | 950 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -3.3% | 880 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -8.3% | 100 |
Measured against the US median, medical administrative assistants rank #5 of the 17 roles we track in Salinas (+8.1%), between data entry specialists (+10.1%) and customer support specialists (+7.2%). The typical role here is at +4.7%, so, measured against the US, medical administrative assistants cost more in Salinas than the area's general pay level would suggest. Medical administrative assistants hold 8.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Salinas, 6.9% across California and 6.1% 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 $45,820 in El Centro to $69,350 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $23,530 a year. Of the 14 areas in California with more medical administrative assistants than Salinas, 3 pay less: Fresno, CA ($48,120), Bakersfield-Delano, CA ($47,430) and Stockton-Lodi, CA ($47,950).
| Area | Median | vs Salinas | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | +0.4% | 10,530 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | +0.3% | 2,460 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +0.2% | 1,040 | |
| Salinas, CA | this area | 950 | |
| Yuba City, CA | -0.1% | 310 | |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California (Nonmetro) | -0.1% | 350 | |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California (Nonmetro) | -1.6% | 500 |
Salinas against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Salinas is #174 of 514 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside California, Boulder and Burlington-South Burlington pay just above Salinas and Honolulu and Grants Pass just below. All four are within $270 a year of the median in Salinas. Of the three markets with about as many medical administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Salinas | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | +0.5% | 1,080 | pay | |
| Boulder, CO | +0.5% | 840 | pay | |
| Salinas, CA | this area | 950 | ||
| Honolulu, HI | -0.3% | 1,580 | pay | |
| Grants Pass, OR | -0.4% | 300 | pay | |
| Abilene, TX | -11.8% | 940 | jobs | |
| Evansville, IN | -23.0% | 940 | jobs | |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | -23.6% | 970 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a medical administrative assistant in Salinas, CA?
About $64,039 a year at the median, or $5,337 a month: $49,630 in pay plus about $14,409 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for medical administrative assistants in Salinas?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $49,630 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $43,850, the 90th $63,620, and the middle half earned $46,950 to $58,500.
Is Salinas cheaper than the rest of California for medical administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $49,630 against $54,490 statewide. The next area up in California is Santa Maria-Santa Barbara at $49,730, the next down Yuba City at $49,600.
How many medical administrative assistants work in Salinas?
BLS counts about 950 in the May 2025 survey. 14 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Vallejo, with about 990.
Does a medical administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in Salinas?
Yes: $1,620 a year more at the median. The medians are $49,630 and $48,010.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6013: 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.