High paying office and admin jobs in California

Every office and admin occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in California. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single office and admin job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in California run 10.7% above the national average (2024), so a California salary is worth about 0.90× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in California.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find office jobs in California

OccupationMedian, California · Employed

1Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants$89,000
High school diploma or equivalent
$58,060 – $130,51059,640
2Public Safety Telecommunicators$80,120
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,350 – $108,6508,520
3First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers$77,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$50,870 – $121,650149,230
4Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks$65,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,120 – $92,08020,590
5Postal Service Clerks$63,650
No formal educational credential
$54,330 – $76,3606,410
6Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs$63,520
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,320 – $82,96030,960
7Court, Municipal, and License Clerks$63,320
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,110 – $84,19012,460
8Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks$63,000
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,070 – $95,40056,080
9Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants$62,860
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,710 – $106,58027,470
10Postal Service Mail Carriers$62,090
No formal educational credential
$43,120 – $81,04032,320
11Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators$59,490
No formal educational credential
$47,440 – $75,28010,090
12Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks$59,230
Some college, no degree
$41,600 – $81,990151,870
13Information and Record Clerks, All Other$58,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,360 – $80,95018,010
14Bill and Account Collectors$57,930
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,520 – $81,44013,880
15Cargo and Freight Agents$57,690
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,430 – $83,06017,060
16Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping$57,590
Associate's degree
$41,300 – $78,37011,490
17Loan Interviewers and Clerks$57,300
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,170 – $75,94014,680
18Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan$56,880
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,330 – $77,74022,250
19Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks$56,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,280 – $77,28023,470
20Word Processors and Typists$56,380
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,760 – $65,72010,270
21Billing and Posting Clerks$56,260
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,840 – $77,26041,290
22Procurement Clerks$56,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,100 – $75,1107,080
23Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$55,400
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,060 – $78,170158,630
24Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants$54,490
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,650 – $76,020115,050
25Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other$54,020
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,000 – $85,26023,120
26Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance$52,350
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,520 – $81,07023,970
27Customer Service Representatives$49,560
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,110 – $75,700176,850
28Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks$49,420
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,630 – $76,45010,580
29File Clerks$49,040
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,780 – $78,1009,520
30Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service$48,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,380 – $79,2606,680
31Office Clerks, General$48,460
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,190 – $73,220311,490
32Library Assistants, Clerical$47,860
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,920 – $68,81011,170
33Order Clerks$47,290
Some college, no degree
$37,170 – $66,58012,390
34Data Entry Keyers$47,010
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,490 – $61,52014,520
35Tellers$46,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,030 – $58,66025,230
36Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks$46,520
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,390 – $64,65088,760
37Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping$45,730
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,490 – $59,9907,510
38Couriers and Messengers$44,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,200 – $57,3607,240
39Receptionists and Information Clerks$44,100
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,410 – $58,80082,470
40Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks$39,360
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,910 – $54,02027,810

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianCalifornia	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative AssistantsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$89,000	$58,060 – $130,510	59,640
2	Public Safety TelecommunicatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$80,120	$49,350 – $108,650	8,520
3	First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$77,590	$50,870 – $121,650	149,230
4	Payroll and Timekeeping ClerksHigh school diploma or equivalent	$65,340	$46,120 – $92,080	20,590
5	Postal Service ClerksNo formal educational credential	$63,650	$54,330 – $76,360	6,410
6	Eligibility Interviewers, Government ProgramsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,520	$47,320 – $82,960	30,960
7	Court, Municipal, and License ClerksHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,320	$49,110 – $84,190	12,460
8	Production, Planning, and Expediting ClerksHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,000	$44,070 – $95,400	56,080
9	Legal Secretaries and Administrative AssistantsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,860	$40,710 – $106,580	27,470
10	Postal Service Mail CarriersNo formal educational credential	$62,090	$43,120 – $81,040	32,320
11	Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$59,490	$47,440 – $75,280	10,090
12	Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing ClerksSome college, no degree	$59,230	$41,600 – $81,990	151,870
13	Information and Record Clerks, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,680	$42,360 – $80,950	18,010
14	Bill and Account CollectorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,930	$38,520 – $81,440	13,880
15	Cargo and Freight AgentsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,690	$38,430 – $83,060	17,060
16	Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and TimekeepingAssociate's degree	$57,590	$41,300 – $78,370	11,490
17	Loan Interviewers and ClerksHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,300	$39,170 – $75,940	14,680
18	Interviewers, Except Eligibility and LoanHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,880	$41,330 – $77,740	22,250
19	Insurance Claims and Policy Processing ClerksHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,800	$40,280 – $77,280	23,470
20	Word Processors and TypistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,380	$40,760 – $65,720	10,270
21	Billing and Posting ClerksHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,260	$42,840 – $77,260	41,290
22	Procurement ClerksHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,160	$40,100 – $75,110	7,080
23	Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and ExecutiveHigh school diploma or equivalent	$55,400	$38,060 – $78,170	158,630
24	Medical Secretaries and Administrative AssistantsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$54,490	$40,650 – $76,020	115,050
25	Office and Administrative Support Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$54,020	$37,000 – $85,260	23,120
26	Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and AmbulanceHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,350	$39,520 – $81,070	23,970
27	Customer Service RepresentativesHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,560	$38,110 – $75,700	176,850
28	Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel ClerksHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,420	$41,630 – $76,450	10,580
29	File ClerksHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,040	$36,780 – $78,100	9,520
30	Switchboard Operators, Including Answering ServiceHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,840	$37,380 – $79,260	6,680
31	Office Clerks, GeneralHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,460	$36,190 – $73,220	311,490
32	Library Assistants, ClericalHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,860	$36,920 – $68,810	11,170
33	Order ClerksSome college, no degree	$47,290	$37,170 – $66,580	12,390
34	Data Entry KeyersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,010	$37,490 – $61,520	14,520
35	TellersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,900	$38,030 – $58,660	25,230
36	Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory ClerksHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,520	$37,390 – $64,650	88,760
37	Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, RecordkeepingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,730	$37,490 – $59,990	7,510
38	Couriers and MessengersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,970	$36,200 – $57,360	7,240
39	Receptionists and Information ClerksHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,100	$36,410 – $58,800	82,470
40	Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk ClerksHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,360	$35,910 – $54,020	27,810

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in California. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for California

Metro areas in California

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in California

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in California to rank honestly.

High paying office and admin jobs in California

More for California

Metro areas in California

By field in California

Without a degree

High paying office and admin jobs in each state