How much does a program assistant make in California?

Typical pay at each employer, 2025 (everyone paid).

• Allan Hancock Joint Community College District74 people$6,620
• Madera County54 people$47,260
• Town of Danville46 people$4,988
• City of Rocklin42 people$1,520
• City of Pleasanton40 people$16,783
• Contra Costa Community College District33 people$58,188
• Ventura County30 people$99,294
• City of Irvine27 people$54,317
• Cerritos Community College District16 people$72,416
• City of Palo Alto15 people$91,790
• City of Walnut Creek13 people$72,268
• City of Encinitas11 people$76,601
• San Jose-Evergreen Community College District10 people$32,833
• City of Menlo Park9 people$63,457
• Orange County Sanitation District9 people$44,885
• Palomar Health District8 people$50,226
• City of Mountain View8 people$105,216
• Merced Community College District7 people$48,512
• Alameda County First 56 people$69,975
• City of Tracy6 people$4,062
• City of Citrus Heights5 people$52,461
• City of Pomona5 people$68,069
• San Joaquin County Superior Court5 people$63,945
• Merced County5 people$1,347
• Southern California Intergovernmental Training and Development Center4 people$54,337
• City of Hayward4 people$36,451
• West Valley-Mission Community College District3 people$83,371
• Marin City Community Services District3 people$7,544
• Alameda County Superior Court3 people$66,587
• City of San Pablo2 people$25,769
• South Orange County Community College District2 people$64,017
• Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County2 people$74,935
• Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District1 person$82,027
• Sierra Resource Conservation District1 person$5,340
• City of West Sacramento1 person$24,940
• City of Concord1 person$90,174
• City of Escondido1 person$41,259
• North Marin Water District1 person$136,559
• Desert Healthcare District1 person$81,163
• Sonoma Resource Conservation District1 person$2,227
• Solano County Transit (SolTrans)1 person$80,379
• City of Vista1 person$64,522
• Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency1 person$3,344
• Chico Area Recreation and Park District1 person$23,802

No employers match.

Pay by level

Levels with 5 or more people.

• Program Assistant III42 people$3,964
• Program Assistant IV13 people$6,870
• Program Assistant V14 people$11,414
• Program Assistant VI9 people$28,899
• Program Assistant341 people$32,043
• Program Assistant I45 people$45,506
• Program Assistant II50 people$50,880

Related jobs and the next step up

Same line of work at a different rank, by typical pay (full-year employees where we can tell*).

1. Program Assistant (this page)$31,770 (everyone)
2. Senior Program Assistant$61,379 (everyone)
3. Program Assistant Senior$78,451 (everyone)
4. Program Supervisor$90,143 (everyone)
5. Senior Program Manager$132,188 (everyone)
6. Program Manager Senior$140,728 (everyone)
7. Program Manager$150,372 (everyone)
8. Program Chief$153,986 (everyone)

Highest-paid program assistants, 2025

Common questions