Project Coordinator salary in Chico, CA
For this job Chico sits right at the US figure, with a median of $103,320 a year1. That is about level with the US median of $102,320, and 14.5% below the California statewide median of $120,910. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#73 of 518). About 320 project coordinators work here.
BLS occupation 13-1082, area Chico, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Chico against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chico, CA | $61,580 | $103,320 | $181,480 | |
| California | $69,180 | $120,910 | $188,560 | |
| United States | $61,580 | $102,320 | $167,970 |
Project coordinators at the 90th percentile earn $181,480, 2.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.7. The middle half of project coordinators in Chico earns $77,130–$145,790. The mean ($115,070) is 11% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $68,660 wide, between the figure for California ($70,230) and the US figure ($54,660).
What to budget for a project coordinator here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $61,580 | $5,132 | $29.61 | $79,458 |
| 25th percentile | $77,130 | $6,428 | $37.08 | $99,523 |
| Median | $103,320 | $8,610 | $49.67 | $133,316 |
| 75th percentile | $145,790 | $12,149 | $70.09 | $188,116 |
| 90th percentile | $181,480 | $15,123 | $87.25 | $234,168 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $42,470 over the median, the 25th only $26,190 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $54,800 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 $102,320 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Chico, and the California statewide median of $120,910 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Chico
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 $29,996 to the $103,320 median and brings it to $133,316 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 project coordinators 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 Chico
Project coordinators have the highest median of the 17 roles we track in Chico; virtual receptionists have the lowest, at $40,070.
| Role | Median | vs project coordinator | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | this role | 320 | |
| Accountant | -24.8% | 420 | |
| Executive Assistant | -26.7% | 170 | |
| Recruiter | -28.5% | 310 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -31.5% | 320 |
Measured against the US median, project coordinators rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Chico (+1.0%), between HR assistants (+1.0%) and data entry specialists (+0.9%). The typical role here is at +0.9%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Project coordinators hold 5.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Chico, 6.9% across California and 6.7% nationally. The job is a smaller 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 $86,540 in the North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetro area to $135,120 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $48,580 a year. Of the 20 areas in California with more project coordinators than Chico, 7 pay less, the largest of them Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($100,770), Fresno, CA ($101,030) and Modesto, CA ($102,490).
| Area | Median | vs Chico | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | +0.9% | 910 | |
| Merced, CA | +0.5% | 190 | |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California (Nonmetro) | +0.3% | 250 | |
| Chico, CA | this area | 320 | |
| Modesto, CA | -0.8% | 670 | |
| Salinas, CA | -0.9% | 490 | |
| Fresno, CA | -2.2% | 1,720 |
Chico against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Chico is #325 of 517 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside California, Bellingham and Atlanta-Sandy Springs pay just above Chico and Olympia-Lacey and Barnstable Town just below. All four are within $340 a year of the median in Chico. Of the three markets with about as many project coordinators, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Chico | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA | +0.1% | 21,060 | pay | |
| Bellingham, WA | +0.1% | 660 | pay | |
| Chico, CA | this area | 320 | ||
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | -0.3% | 810 | pay | |
| Barnstable Town, MA | -0.3% | 240 | pay | |
| Corvallis, OR | -17.3% | 320 | jobs | |
| Salisbury, MD | -22.2% | 320 | jobs | |
| Flagstaff, AZ | -24.6% | 320 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a project coordinator in Chico, CA?
About $133,316 a year at the median, or $11,110 a month: $103,320 in pay plus about $29,996 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for project coordinators in Chico?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $103,320 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $61,580, the 90th $181,480, and the middle half earned $77,130 to $145,790.
Is Chico cheaper than the rest of California for project coordinators?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $103,320 against $120,910 statewide. The next area up in California is the Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetro area at $103,670, the next down Modesto at $102,490.
How many project coordinators work in Chico?
BLS counts about 320 in the May 2025 survey. 20 areas in California have more; the closest in size is the North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetro area, with about 430.
Does a project coordinator cost more than an accountant in Chico?
Yes: $25,640 a year more at the median. The medians are $103,320 and $77,680.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1082: 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.