Salary comparison
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: Boston vs Sacramento
Sacramento, CA pays about 11.9% more for medical secretaries and administrative assistants on paper — $57,730 vs $51,600. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Sacramento comes out ahead by $6,130 a year in real buying power.
Boston, MA
$51,600
$48,360
$59,530
$24.81
100
$51,600/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Sacramento, CA
$57,730
$46,490
$64,060
$27.75
100
$57,730/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $6,130 a year (11.9%) in favor of Sacramento. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Boston runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Sacramento sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Sacramento is the better deal by $6,130 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Boston to Sacramento for this role, the raise needs to beat 11.9% 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, Boston or Sacramento?
Sacramento pays $57,730 on median — about 11.9% more than Boston ($51,600). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Sacramento. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Sacramento gives you roughly$57,730 of real buying power versus $51,600 in the other city.