San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a medical secretary make in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA?

In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area, medical secretaries earned a median of $51,650 a year ($24.83 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 11,260 of these jobs there. That is 12% below the $58,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $43,640 and $71,010; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $42,542 in take-home pay.

Medical secretary pay in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA at a glance

Median salary

$51,650$24.83 per hour · $4,304 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$43,640$20.98/hr
25th percentile$47,390$22.79/hr
75th percentile$62,250$29.93/hr
90th percentile$71,010$34.14/hr
Jobs in this metro11,260Location quotient 1.18 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here12% belowAll-jobs median $58,690
Against California5% belowStatewide median $54,490
Against the U.S.12% aboveNational median $45,930

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.

Medical secretary salary in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA after taxes

$51,650
$20,000$105,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$51,650
Net 82%
Fed 8%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$42,542After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,545Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,636Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,018 / yr
California state income tax$1,139 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,951 / yr

Medical secretaries pay range in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What medical secretaries earned in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$20.98/hr$3,637$43,640$36,516
25th percentile$22.79/hr$3,949$47,390$39,375
MedianMedian$24.83/hr$4,304$51,650$42,542
75th percentile$29.93/hr$5,188$62,250$50,423
90th percentile$34.14/hr$5,918$71,010$56,330

Is $51,650 a good salary in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA?

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

Median household income$106,268Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)111.911.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.6%of area median income

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

Medical secretary pay in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for medical secretaries in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for medical secretaries in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area was $51,650 in May 2025, about $4,304 a month or $24.83 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $54,490, so the metro pays 5% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for medical secretaries in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

The median hourly wage for medical secretaries in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA was $24.83 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $20.98 an hour and one in ten earned more than $34.14.

How many medical secretaries work in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

BLS estimated 11,260 jobs for medical secretaries in the metro in May 2025, or 7.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.18 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for medical secretaries in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

BLS wage estimates for medical secretaries in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA run from $43,640 at the 10th percentile to $47,390 at the 25th, $62,250 at the 75th, and $71,010 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do medical secretaries take home after taxes in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

On a median gross salary of $51,650, an estimated $42,542 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,636 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,108 (an effective rate of 17.6%).

How much do medical secretaries make per month in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

On the median annual salary of $51,650, gross monthly income is $4,304. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,545 per month (or $1,636 every two weeks).

Is $51,650 a good salary in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

At $51,650, the median salary for medical secretaries is 48.6% of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA median household income ($106,268). It is 12% below the $58,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 111.9, so prices here run 11.9% above the U.S. average.