How much do medical assistants typically earn in the US?
There are factors that influence how much a medical assistant will earn, including the state, metro area, job market, years of experience, and what type of medical facility is hiring.
According to May 2022 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics [1] [2], the mean annual salary of all US medical assistants is $38,190 ($18.36 per hour).
Salary.com also reported similar numbers, stating that the median salary of medical assistants in the US was $38,889 [3] in April 2023.
The annual mean salary of medical assistants in California is $44,780 ($21.53 per hour) according to April 2023 data from the BLS.
Here is a breakdown of how much medical assistants earn in each state, by salary and hourly wage.
Medical Assistant Wage and Salary by State, May 2022
| State | Median Hourly Wage | Mean Hourly Wage | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $14.38 | $15.09 | $31,390 |
| Alaska | $22.79 | $22.30 | $46,390 |
| Arizona | $17.98 | $18.17 | $37,790 |
| Arkansas | $14.41 | $15.47 | $32.170 |
| California | $18.65 | $21.53 | $44,780 |
| Colorado | $18.29 | $19.36 | $40,270 |
| Connecticut | $18.27 | $19.71 | $41,010 |
| Delaware | $17.54 | $17.52 | $36,450 |
| District of Columbia | $22.86 | $22.45 | $46,690 |
| Florida | $17.65 | $17.06 | $35,480 |
| Georgia | $17.40 | $17.05 | $35,470 |
| Hawaii | $18.69 | $20.41 | $42,460 |
| Idaho | $17.85 | $18.10 | $37,650 |
| Illinois | $18.03 | $18.23 | $37,910 |
| Indiana | $17.77 | $17.59 | $36,600 |
| Iowa | $18.11 | $18.41 | $38,290 |
| Kansas | $16.99 | $16.48 | $34,270 |
| Kentucky | $16.06 | $16.04 | $33,360 |
| Louisiana | $14.17 | $14.72 | $30,620 |
| Maine | $18.20 | $18.74 | $38,990 |
| Maryland | $18.04 | $18.89 | $39,280 |
| Massachusetts | $22.06 | $21.25 | $44,200 |
| Michigan | $17.85 | $17.14 | $35,640 |
| Minnesota | $22.56 | $21.16 | $44,010 |
| Mississippi | $14.31 | $15.21 | $31,640 |
| Missouri | $16.96 | $16.53 | $34,380 |
| Montana | $18.11 | $18.75 | $39,000 |
| Nebraska | $17.78 | $17.58 | $36,560 |
| Nevada | $17.77 | $17.74 | $36,890 |
| New Hampshire | $18.37 | $19.41 | $40,370 |
| New Jersey | $18.09 | $19.04 | $39,600 |
| New Mexico | $14.79 | $16.57 | $34,460 |
| New York | $18.20 | $20.24 | $42,100 |
| North Carolina | $17.69 | $17.14 | $35,650 |
| North Dakota | $17.94 | $18.00 | $37,440 |
| Ohio | $17.69 | $16.99 | $35,330 |
| Oklahoma | $14.44 | $15.49 | $32,230 |
| Oregon | $21.97 | $21.16 | $44,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $17.63 | $17.67 | $36,750 |
| Rhode Island | $18.20 | $18.94 | $39,390 |
| South Carolina | $16.69 | $16.48 | $34,270 |
| South Dakota | $14.68 | $16.29 | $33,880 |
| Tennessee | $17.44 | $16.90 | $35,150 |
| Texas | $17.08 | $16.66 | $34,660 |
| Utah | $17.85 | $17.10 | $35,570 |
| Vermont | $17.88 | $18.86 | $39,220 |
| Virginia | $17.82 | $18.43 | $38,330 |
| Washington | $22.82 | $22.75 | $47,320 |
| West Virginia | $14.30 | $15.01 | $31,230 |
| Wisconsin | $18.30 | $19.07 | $39,670 |
| Wyoming | $17.99 | $18.01 | $37,470 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics [1] [2]
Medical Assistant Wage by Years of Experience in the United States
Generally, the more years of experience you have as a medical assistant, the more you are likely to earn in both hourly wage and annual salary. These are stats on how years of experience influence wages as a medical assistant, from Indeed.com, sourced April 2023.
| Years of Experience | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|
| Less than One Year | $17.11 |
| 1 to 2 Years | $17.84 |
| 3 to 5 years | $19.14 |
| 6 to 9 years | $19.51 |
| More than 10 years | $21.58 |
Source: Indeed.com [4]
Average Medical Assistant Salaries by Industry
| Industry | Per Hour | Per Month | Per Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offices of Physicians | $18.08 | $3,134 | $37,610 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $19.02 | $3,296 | $39,550 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $21.48 | $3,723 | $44,680 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $16.21 | $2,809 | $33,710 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | $14.84 | $2,570 | $30,870 |
| Employment Services | $18.67 | $3,237 | $38,840 |
| Other Ambulatory Medical Care Services | $18.92 | $3,279 | $39,350 |
| Insurance Carriers | $21.34 | $3,699 | $44,390 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics [2]
Factors that Influence Medical Assistant Salary
Many factors have an effect on medical assistant salaries, including years of experience, specialization in a medical field, certifications and education, location, and type of facility in which you are working. In larger medical offices, clinical and administrative medical assistants may have slightly different pay. Most of the time, those roles and responsibilities will overlap.
The majority of medical assistants receive benefits packages, which can include healthcare benefits, holiday pay, sick leave, and in some cases a 401(k). A recent survey by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) about 97% of medical assistants receive some sort of benefits.
How to Earn More as a Medical Assistant
Gaining more years of experience is one way to earn more as a medical assistant, but here are other methods.
Earn certifications for specialized fields. Some fields pay a bit better than general medical assisting.
Get a job in a higher-paying facility. Some medical facilities tend to pay better than others, on average.
Move to an area where medical assistants are paid more. Some cities and states tend to pay medical assistants better than others. By comparing the cost of living, you can figure out where your salary will go farther.
What Does a Medical Assistant Do?
A medical assistant is critically important to the smooth operation of a doctor’s office, hospital or medical clinic, and his or her duties are split between administrative and clinical responsibilities.
Here are some of the administrative duties a medical assistant may be responsible for:
- Welcoming patients and answering the phone
- Setting appointments for patients
- Overseeing patients’ medical records
- Inputting and supervising patients’ insurance information
- Organizing necessary information, such as hospital admissions and laboratory services
- Handling patient correspondence
- Moving patient information from paper records to electronic health records (EHR)
These are some of the clinical duties a medical assistant may be tasked with completing:
- Preparing patients for medical examinations
- Writing down medical histories
- Measuring vital signs, like blood pressure
- Drawing blood for testing
- Removing sutures and changing dressings
- Performing basic laboratory exams
- Helping physicians with medical examinations
- Administering injections or giving medications per physician’s instructions and as regulated by state law
- Instructing patients about medications and special diets they may need
In smaller to medium-sized medical offices, it is common for a medical assistant to perform both administrative and clinical duties. Though in larger hospitals, a medical assistant may specialize in either clinical or administrative work. Because medical assistants take patients’ personal information, they must also be able to keep that information private.
Ultimately, what a medical assistant does day to day depends on the location of the hospital or medical office, the state laws in that location, and the needs of the medical facility.
Highest Paying Cities for Medical Assistants
These were the top paying metro areas for medical assistants, as of May 2022. Note the top five spots, and six of the top ten spots are all in California. Three are in the Washington-Oregon area, and one spot is in Alaska.
| Metropolitan area | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | $ 28.21 | $ 58,670 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $ 26.41 | $ 54,930 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $ 25.90 | $ 53,870 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $ 25.74 | $ 53,530 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | $ 24.78 | $ 51,530 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $ 24.43 | $ 50,820 |
| Napa, CA | $ 24.27 | $ 50,480 |
| Fairbanks, AK | $ 22.62 | $ 47,060 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $ 22.41 | $ 46,620 |
| Olympia-Tumwater, WA | $ 21.95 | $ 45,650 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics [5]
Highest Paying Medical Assistant Specialties
With additional experience and certifications, medical assistants can become specialists in certain medical fields. These are the highest paying specialty medical assistant jobs, according to a recent study, and info from Glassdoor and Zip Recruiter, as of April 2023.
| Medical Assistant Specialty | Mean Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Podiatry Medical Assistant | $62,315 |
| Ophthalmic Medical Assistant | $47,980 |
| Fertility Medical Assistant | $45,387 |
| Cardiology Medical Assistant | $41,600 |
| Oncology Medical Assistant | $40,680 |
| Dermatology Medical Assistant | $37,739 |
Source: Stepful.com [6]
Why Are There Pay Differences Between States?
Each state has a different average wage and salary for medical assistants, with several factors playing a role. Job demand, the local job market, the ratio of large cities and rural areas, and local economic conditions all are factors in how much medical assistants will earn in each state.
Get Medical Assistant Training at Campus
The Medical Assistant Program at Campus, formerly known as MTI College, prepares students to perform a wide array of duties in the medical field. At the conclusion of training, students will earn a NCMA certification as a medical assistant. This program is a hybrid program, offered in our OnlinePlus format, with most of the coursework completed online, with required clinical studies held in person at our location in Sacramento. Our medical assisting students learn medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and pharmacology. Each student in the Medical Assisting program is required to finish a 200‐hour unpaid off‐campus Medical Assisting Externship along with standard course requirements to graduate. To become certified as a Medical Assistant, the classroom work can be completed in as few as 32 weeks, followed by a 4-week externship. This means you can become certified as a Medical Assistant in as little as 36 weeks.
If you would like more information on the Medical Assisting program at Campus, fill out the form on this page, or contact our friendly Admissions team today!
[1] Note: The data provided above are from a source unaffiliated with Campus, formerly known as MTI College, are for informational purposes only and represent the employment field as a whole. They are not solely specific to Campus graduates and, by providing the above information, Campus makes no representation, direct or implied, or opinion regarding employability.
[2] Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes319092.htm#st, retrieved April 5, 2023
[3] Salary.com, https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/medical-assistant-salary , retrieved April 6, 2023.
[4] Indeed.com, https://www.indeed.com/career/medical-assistant/salaries, retrieved April 5, 2023
[5] Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes319092.htm, retrieved April 6, 2023
[6] Jessica Holbrook MSN, RN, CCRN for Stepful, https://www.stepful.com/post/highest-paying-medical-assistant-specialties, retrieved April 6, 2023