Salary comparison
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: San Diego vs Seattle
Seattle, WA pays about 16.8% more for medical secretaries and administrative assistants on paper — $60,350 vs $51,650. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Seattle comes out ahead by $8,700 a year in real buying power.
San Diego, CA
$51,650
$47,390
$62,250
$24.83
100
$51,650/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Seattle, WA
$60,350
$51,130
$64,370
$29.01
100
$60,350/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $8,700 a year (16.8%) in favor of Seattle. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
San Diego runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Seattle sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Seattle is the better deal by $8,700 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from San Diego to Seattle for this role, the raise needs to beat 16.8% 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, San Diego or Seattle?
Seattle pays $60,350 on median — about 16.8% more than San Diego ($51,650). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Seattle. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Seattle gives you roughly$60,350 of real buying power versus $51,650 in the other city.