Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant Salary in San Francisco, CA
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earn a median $61,330 a year — 34% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $48,932 take-home, or $4,078 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median medical secretary and administrative assistant salary in San Francisco, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,180
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,802
- Medicare (1.45%)$889
- California income tax$1,729
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$797
- Take-home pay$48,932
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 Francisco, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $48,130 | $23.14 | $39,289 | $3,274 |
| 25th percentile | $51,510 | $24.76 | $41,759 | $3,480 |
| Median (50th) | $61,330 | $29.49 | $48,932 | $4,078 |
| 75th percentile | $77,480 | $37.25 | $59,344 | $4,945 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $84,100 | $40.43 | $63,309 | $5,276 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $61,330 buys in San Francisco, CA
Prices in San Francisco, CA are 15.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.95× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median medical secretary and administrative assistant's $48,932 take-home pay has the buying power of $42,324 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 Francisco, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.93).
Best-paying cities for medical secretaries and administrative assistants, adjusted for cost of living
San Francisco, CA ranks #4 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 |
*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
- Fresno, CA — $48,120
- Riverside, CA — $49,820
- San Diego, CA — $51,650
- Los Angeles, CA — $51,410
- Oxnard, CA — $49,800
Frequently asked questions
How much does a medical secretary and administrative assistant make in San Francisco, CA?
The median medical secretary and administrative assistant salary in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area is $61,330 a year, or about $29.49 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $51,510 and $77,480.
What is a medical secretary and administrative assistant’s take-home pay in San Francisco, CA?
On the median $61,330 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $48,932 a year ($4,078 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,527 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Francisco, CA a good place to work as a medical secretary and administrative assistant?
Pay here is 34% above the national median of $45,930. Local prices are 15.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $42,324 would in a typical U.S. city. San Francisco, CA ranks #4 of 69 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a medical secretary and administrative assistant afford rent in San Francisco, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Francisco, CA is $2,620 a month ($3,187 for two bedrooms) — 64% 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 Francisco, CA
- Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant — $105,190
- First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers — $88,560
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs — $82,960
- Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant — $79,410
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks — $76,900
- Billing and Posting Clerk — $66,390
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks — $65,530
- Insurance Claim and Policy Processing Clerk — $64,260
- Postal Service Mail Carrier — $64,250
- Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan — $63,020
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive — $62,110
- Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other — $61,780