Salary comparison
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: Bellingham vs Napa
Napa, CA pays about 11.1% more for medical secretaries and administrative assistants on paper — $61,830 vs $55,670. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Napa comes out ahead by $6,160 a year in real buying power.
Bellingham, WA
$55,670
$47,160
$61,380
$26.77
100
$55,670/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Napa, CA
$61,830
$53,040
$76,830
$29.73
100
$61,830/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $6,160 a year (11.1%) in favor of Napa. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Bellingham runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Napa sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Napa is the better deal by $6,160 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Bellingham to Napa for this role, the raise needs to beat 11.1% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do medical secretaries and administrative assistants earn more, Bellingham or Napa?
Napa pays $61,830 on median — about 11.1% more than Bellingham ($55,670). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Napa. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Napa gives you roughly$61,830 of real buying power versus $55,670 in the other city.