Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Salary in San Diego, CA
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn a median $55,380 a year — 16% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $44,586 take-home, or $3,715 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary in San Diego, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$4,466
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,434
- Medicare (1.45%)$803
- California income tax$1,372
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$720
- Take-home pay$44,586
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pay by experience in San Diego, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $39,860 | $19.16 | $33,106 | $2,759 |
| 25th percentile | $46,730 | $22.47 | $38,262 | $3,188 |
| Median (50th) | $55,380 | $26.63 | $44,586 | $3,715 |
| 75th percentile | $64,080 | $30.81 | $50,921 | $4,243 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $75,780 | $36.43 | $58,306 | $4,859 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $55,380 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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive's $44,586 take-home pay has the buying power of $39,849 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive jobs are less concentrated in San Diego, CA than nationally (location quotient 0.71), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive, adjusted for cost of living
San Diego, CA ranks #52 of 111 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Haven, CT | $63,800 | $51,497 | $49,252 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $60,230 | $50,575 | $45,508 |
| 3 | San Jose, CA | $62,940 | $50,108 | $45,378 |
| 4 | Hartford, CT | $55,940 | $45,535 | $44,319 |
| 5 | Bridgeport, CT | $57,440 | $46,673 | $43,675 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $59,330 | $47,105 | $43,509 |
| 7 | Madison, WI | $51,410 | $42,007 | $43,178 |
| 8 | Nashville, TN | $49,000 | $41,552 | $43,131 |
| 52 | San Diego, CA | $55,380 | $44,586 | $39,849 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 111 metros →
About the job: secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- -6.0% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive salaries elsewhere in California
- San Jose, CA — $62,940
- San Francisco, CA — $62,110
- Sacramento, CA — $55,020
- Bakersfield, CA — $50,960
- Riverside, CA — $52,920
- Fresno, CA — $50,100
- Oxnard, CA — $54,170
- Los Angeles, CA — $53,550
Frequently asked questions
How much does a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive make in San Diego, CA?
The median secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $55,380 a year, or about $26.63 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $46,730 and $64,080.
What is a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive’s take-home pay in San Diego, CA?
On the median $55,380 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $44,586 a year ($3,715 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,092 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Diego, CA a good place to work as a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive?
Pay here is 16% above the national median of $47,540. Local prices are 11.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $39,849 would in a typical U.S. city. San Diego, CA ranks #52 of 111 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive 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) — 66% of a median secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive’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
- Billing and Posting Clerk — $55,260
- Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant — $51,650
- Insurance Claim and Policy Processing Clerk — $51,310
- Office Clerks, General — $49,920
- Customer Service Representative — $48,730