San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a medical secretary make in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA?

In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan area, medical secretaries earned a median of $69,350 a year ($33.34 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 6,340 of these jobs there. That is 17% below the $84,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $45,960 and $81,860; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $55,295 in take-home pay.

Medical secretary pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA at a glance

Median salary

$69,350$33.34 per hour · $5,779 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$45,960$22.09/hr
25th percentile$56,440$27.14/hr
75th percentile$80,300$38.61/hr
90th percentile$81,860$39.35/hr
Jobs in this metro6,340Location quotient 0.90 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here17% belowAll-jobs median $84,050
Against California27% aboveStatewide median $54,490
Against the U.S.51% 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 Jose-Sunnyvale, CA after taxes

$69,350
$25,000$140,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$69,350
Net 80%
Fed 9%
CA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$55,295After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,608Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,127Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate20.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$6,427 / yr
California state income tax$2,323 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$5,305 / yr

Medical secretaries pay range in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA, hourly and yearly

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

What medical secretaries earned in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$22.09/hr$3,830$45,960$38,288
25th percentile$27.14/hr$4,703$56,440$46,104
MedianMedian$33.34/hr$5,779$69,350$55,295
75th percentile$38.61/hr$6,692$80,300$62,098
90th percentile$39.35/hr$6,822$81,860$63,051

Is $69,350 a good salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale, 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$162,111Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)110.410.4% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household42.8%of area median income

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

Medical secretary pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for medical secretaries in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for medical secretaries in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area was $69,350 in May 2025, about $5,779 a month or $33.34 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $54,490, so the metro pays 27% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for medical secretaries in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

The median hourly wage for medical secretaries in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA was $33.34 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $22.09 an hour and one in ten earned more than $39.35.

How many medical secretaries work in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

BLS estimated 6,340 jobs for medical secretaries in the metro in May 2025, or 5.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.90 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for medical secretaries in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

BLS wage estimates for medical secretaries in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA run from $45,960 at the 10th percentile to $56,440 at the 25th, $80,300 at the 75th, and $81,860 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do medical secretaries take home after taxes in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

On a median gross salary of $69,350, an estimated $55,295 lands in net take-home pay per year ($2,127 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $14,055 (an effective rate of 20.3%).

How much do medical secretaries make per month in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

On the median annual salary of $69,350, gross monthly income is $5,779. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $4,608 per month (or $2,127 every two weeks).

Is $69,350 a good salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

At $69,350, the median salary for medical secretaries is 42.8% of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA median household income ($162,111). It is 17% below the $84,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 110.4, so prices here run 10.4% above the U.S. average.