Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does an administrative assistant make in Santa Maria, CA?

In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan area, administrative assistants earned a median of $51,800 a year ($24.90 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,930 of these jobs there. That is about the same as the $51,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,540 and $76,890; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $42,654 in take-home pay.

Administrative assistant pay in Santa Maria, CA at a glance

Median salary

$51,800$24.90 per hour · $4,317 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,540$18.05/hr
25th percentile$43,810$21.06/hr
75th percentile$62,920$30.25/hr
90th percentile$76,890$36.97/hr
Jobs in this metro1,930Location quotient 0.88 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs hereabout the same asAll-jobs median $51,690
Against California6% belowStatewide median $55,400
Against the U.S.9% aboveNational median $47,540

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Administrative assistant salary in Santa Maria, CA after taxes

$51,800
$20,000$105,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$51,800
Net 82%
Fed 8%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$42,654After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,554Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,641Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,036 / yr
California state income tax$1,148 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,963 / yr

Administrative assistants pay range in Santa Maria, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What administrative assistants earned in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$18.05/hr$3,128$37,540$31,859
25th percentile$21.06/hr$3,651$43,810$36,646
MedianMedian$24.90/hr$4,317$51,800$42,654
75th percentile$30.25/hr$5,243$62,920$50,921
90th percentile$36.97/hr$6,408$76,890$59,996

Is $51,800 a good salary in Santa Maria, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for administrative assistants next to both.

Median household income$98,161Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)108.88.8% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household52.8%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Administrative assistant pay in Santa Maria, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for administrative assistants in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for administrative assistants in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area was $51,800 in May 2025, about $4,317 a month or $24.90 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $55,400, so the metro pays 6% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for administrative assistants in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

The median hourly wage for administrative assistants in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA was $24.90 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.05 an hour and one in ten earned more than $36.97.

How many administrative assistants work in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

BLS estimated 1,930 jobs for administrative assistants in the metro in May 2025, or 9.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.88 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for administrative assistants in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

BLS wage estimates for administrative assistants in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA run from $37,540 at the 10th percentile to $43,810 at the 25th, $62,920 at the 75th, and $76,890 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do administrative assistants take home after taxes in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

On a median gross salary of $51,800, an estimated $42,654 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,641 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,146 (an effective rate of 17.7%).

How much do administrative assistants make per month in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

On the median annual salary of $51,800, gross monthly income is $4,317. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,554 per month (or $1,641 every two weeks).

Is $51,800 a good salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

At $51,800, the median salary for administrative assistants is 52.8% of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA median household income ($98,161). It is about the same as the $51,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 108.8, so prices here run 8.8% above the U.S. average.