Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant Salary in San Diego, CA
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn a median $51,650 a year — 12% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $41,861 take-home, or $3,488 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median medical secretary and administrative assistant salary in San Diego, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$4,018
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,202
- Medicare (1.45%)$749
- California income tax$1,148
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$671
- Take-home pay$41,861
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant pay by experience in San Diego, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $43,640 | $20.98 | $35,942 | $2,995 |
| 25th percentile | $47,390 | $22.78 | $38,749 | $3,229 |
| Median (50th) | $51,650 | $24.83 | $41,861 | $3,488 |
| 75th percentile | $62,250 | $29.93 | $49,604 | $4,134 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $71,010 | $34.14 | $55,394 | $4,616 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $51,650 buys in San Diego, CA
Prices in San Diego, CA are 11.9% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.79× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median medical secretary and administrative assistant's $41,861 take-home pay has the buying power of $37,413 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant jobs are about as common in San Diego, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.18).
Best-paying cities for medical secretaries and administrative assistants, adjusted for cost of living
San Diego, CA ranks #40 of 69 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $69,350 | $54,380 | $49,247 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $60,350 | $50,671 | $45,595 |
| 3 | Sacramento, CA | $57,730 | $46,302 | $43,407 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $61,330 | $48,932 | $42,324 |
| 5 | Winston, NC | $46,370 | $38,097 | $41,390 |
| 6 | Cleveland, OH | $45,920 | $38,596 | $41,094 |
| 7 | Albuquerque, NM | $47,310 | $39,127 | $40,950 |
| 8 | Cincinnati, OH | $46,180 | $38,798 | $40,682 |
| 40 | San Diego, CA | $51,650 | $41,861 | $37,413 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 69 metros →
About the job: medical secretaries and administrative assistants
Perform secretarial duties using specific knowledge of medical terminology and hospital, clinic, or laboratory procedures. Duties may include scheduling appointments, billing patients, and compiling and recording medical charts, reports, and correspondence.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +4.8% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant salaries elsewhere in California
- San Jose, CA — $69,350
- Sacramento, CA — $57,730
- San Francisco, CA — $61,330
- Fresno, CA — $48,120
- Riverside, CA — $49,820
- Los Angeles, CA — $51,410
- Oxnard, CA — $49,800
Frequently asked questions
How much does a medical secretary and administrative assistant make in San Diego, CA?
The median medical secretary and administrative assistant salary in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $51,650 a year, or about $24.83 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $47,390 and $62,250.
What is a medical secretary and administrative assistant’s take-home pay in San Diego, CA?
On the median $51,650 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $41,861 a year ($3,488 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,820 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Diego, CA a good place to work as a medical secretary and administrative assistant?
Pay here is 12% above the national median of $45,930. Local prices are 11.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $37,413 would in a typical U.S. city. San Diego, CA ranks #40 of 69 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a medical secretary and administrative assistant afford rent in San Diego, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Diego, CA is $2,459 a month ($3,001 for two bedrooms) — 70% of a median medical secretary and administrative assistant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in San Diego, CA
- Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant — $84,540
- First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers — $76,120
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks — $65,640
- Postal Service Mail Carrier — $63,380
- Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant — $61,780
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks — $58,580
- Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other — $56,780
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive — $55,380
- Billing and Posting Clerk — $55,260
- Insurance Claim and Policy Processing Clerk — $51,310
- Office Clerks, General — $49,920
- Customer Service Representative — $48,730