Medical Administrative Assistant salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays medical administrative assistants less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $49,730 a year1: 8.7% below the California statewide median of $54,490 and 8.3% above the US median of $45,930. Only 38 of 516 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 1,040 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-6013, 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 | $41,410 | $49,730 | $64,880 | |
| California | $40,650 | $54,490 | $76,020 | |
| United States | $35,930 | $45,930 | $60,530 |
Medical administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $64,880, 1.6 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.7. The middle half of medical administrative assistants in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara earns $46,130–$60,080. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $13,950 wide, between the figure for California ($16,740) and the US figure ($12,010).
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 | $41,410 | $3,451 | $19.91 | $53,432 |
| 25th percentile | $46,130 | $3,844 | $22.18 | $59,523 |
| Median | $49,730 | $4,144 | $23.91 | $64,168 |
| 75th percentile | $60,080 | $5,007 | $28.88 | $77,523 |
| 90th percentile | $64,880 | $5,407 | $31.19 | $83,716 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $10,350 over the median, the 25th only $3,600 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $13,355 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, 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 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 $14,438 to the $49,730 median and brings it to $64,168 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Of the 17 roles we track in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between HR assistants ($51,790) and customer support specialists ($49,080). Project Coordinator is the highest at $106,250.
| Role | Median | vs medical administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +4.2% | 1,930 | |
| HR Assistant | +4.1% | 110 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,040 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -1.3% | 1,350 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -2.6% | 100 |
Measured against the US median, medical administrative assistants rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara (+8.3%), between administrative assistants (+9.0%) and executive assistants (+8.0%). The typical role here is at +8.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Medical administrative assistants hold 6.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, 6.9% across California and 6.1% 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 $45,820 in El Centro to $69,350 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $23,530 a year. Of the 12 areas in California with more medical administrative assistants than Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, 3 pay less: Fresno, CA ($48,120), Bakersfield-Delano, CA ($47,430) and Stockton-Lodi, CA ($47,950).
| Area | Median | vs Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | +0.2% | 270 | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | +0.2% | 10,530 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | +0.1% | 2,460 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | this area | 1,040 | |
| Salinas, CA | -0.2% | 950 | |
| Yuba City, CA | -0.3% | 310 | |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California (Nonmetro) | -0.3% | 350 |
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara is #161 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara and Honolulu and Grants Pass just below. All four are within $300 a year of the median in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara. Of the three markets with about as many medical administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | +0.3% | 1,080 | pay | |
| Boulder, CO | +0.3% | 840 | pay | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | this area | 1,040 | ||
| Honolulu, HI | -0.5% | 1,580 | pay | |
| Grants Pass, OR | -0.6% | 300 | pay | |
| Peoria, IL | -10.5% | 1,050 | jobs | |
| Bowling Green, KY | -23.7% | 1,040 | jobs | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | -25.5% | 1,050 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a medical administrative assistant in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
About $64,168 a year at the median, or $5,347 a month: $49,730 in pay plus about $14,438 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for medical administrative assistants in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $49,730 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $41,410, the 90th $64,880, and the middle half earned $46,130 to $60,080.
Is Santa Maria-Santa Barbara cheaper than the rest of California for medical administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $49,730 against $54,490 statewide. The next area up in California is Oxnard-Thousand Oaks at $49,800, the next down Salinas at $49,630.
How many medical administrative assistants work in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
BLS counts about 1,040 in the May 2025 survey. 12 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Santa Rosa-Petaluma, with about 1,190.
Does a medical administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Yes: $650 a year more at the median. The medians are $49,730 and $49,080.
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.