How much does a medical assistant make?

The average medical assistant salary in the United States is $34,900. Medical assistant salaries typically range between $27,000 and $43,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for medical assistants is $16.78 per hour. Medical assistant salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Medical assistants earn the highest average salary in Alaska.

Medical assistant salary

Q: What state pays Medical Assistants the most?

Alaska pays Medical Assistants the most in the United States, with an average salary of $46,918 per year, or $22.56 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a medical assistant?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a medical assistant if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Washington you should be paid close to $45,025 per year.

Q: What is a good starting salary for a Medical Assistant?

A good starting salary for a medical assistant is $27,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a medical assistant in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for medical assistants is $34,553, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a medical assistant can vary by state.

Q: Can you live off a medical assistant salary?

Yes, you can live off a medical assistant salary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2020, medical assistants earned an average salary of $36,930 per year ($17.75 an hour). The range of income varies by state and time spent in the position. Salaries reported for medical assistants range between $29,000 - $50,000.

Q: Do medical assistants get paid well?

Yes, medical assistants get paid well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2020, medical assistants earned an average salary of $36,930 per year ($17.75 per hour). The range of income varies by location and time spent in the position. Salaries reported for medical assistants range between $29,000 - $50,000

Q: How much should a medical assistant make an hour?

Medical assistants make $17.75 an hour, on average. This ranges between $16 to $18 dollars, with some entry-level jobs offering as little as $12 dollars to start. Pay also vary based on background education, location, certifications, and work experience. There are additional increases for working overtime or night shift.

Average medical assistant salary

$16.78

$34,900 yearly

Entry-level medical assistant salary

$27,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Medical Assistant Salaries

The average salary for a medical assistant stands at $34,900 annually, translating to about $17 per hour. Factors influencing this figure include geographic location, years of experience, and the type of healthcare facility. For instance, medical assistants in metropolitan areas often receive higher compensation compared to those in rural settings.

Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level medical assistants typically start at around $16.78 per hour, while those with several years of experience can earn significantly more. Experienced professionals may find opportunities in specialized fields such as pediatrics or surgery, which tend to offer better pay.

Top Paying States

Some of the highest-paying states for medical assistants include California, New York, and Washington. In these states, medical assistants can earn well above the national average, making them attractive locations for job seekers.

Job Opportunities

The medical assistant profession is expected to grow, providing numerous job opportunities. As healthcare facilities expand, the demand for qualified assistants increases, ensuring a stable entry point into the healthcare industry. For those considering a career in this field, understanding salary expectations and career advancement opportunities is essential.

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Medical assistant salary by:

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Where can a Medical Assistant earn more?

Compare salary by location

63k

43k

23k

Columbus, OH$45,301

Omaha, NE$33,457

Compare salary by company

72k

52k

32k

12k

Columbia University in the City of New York$47,378

Mount Auburn Hospital$41,928

Medical assistant salaries by experience level

Medical assistant salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Indeed, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, SalaryExpert and CareerExplorer, the average salary for a medical assistant typically falls between $34,900 and $42,795.

zippia

$34,900yearly

glassdoor[1]

$42,795yearly

indeed[2]

$40,279yearly

ZipRecruiter[3]

$41,510yearly

SalaryExpert[4]

$41,373yearly

CareerExplorer[5]

$37,190yearly

Average medical assistant salary by state

The highest-paying states for medical assistants are Alaska, Washington, and Oregon. The lowest average medical assistant salary states are Mississippi, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for medical assistants

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Washington	$45,025	$21.65
2	Massachusetts	$39,735	$19.10
3	Minnesota	$38,059	$18.30
4	Alaska	$46,918	$22.56
5	New Hampshire	$36,601	$17.60
6	Wisconsin	$36,240	$17.42
7	Rhode Island	$37,330	$17.95
8	Oregon	$42,184	$20.28
9	Connecticut	$37,024	$17.80
10	Iowa	$35,614	$17.12
11	Illinois	$36,360	$17.48
12	Michigan	$33,979	$16.34
13	Arizona	$35,359	$17.00
14	Vermont	$36,062	$17.34
15	Maine	$33,983	$16.34
16	Indiana	$33,203	$15.96
17	Idaho	$34,346	$16.51
18	New York	$36,678	$17.63
19	North Dakota	$35,204	$16.93
20	Colorado	$36,240	$17.42
21	Montana	$34,360	$16.52
22	California	$40,210	$19.33
23	Hawaii	$38,808	$18.66
24	Utah	$34,164	$16.43
25	Nebraska	$33,490	$16.10
26	Maryland	$34,644	$16.66
27	District of Columbia	$39,641	$19.06
28	Wyoming	$34,152	$16.42
29	Ohio	$32,021	$15.39
30	Pennsylvania	$32,310	$15.53
31	New Jersey	$34,881	$16.77
32	Kentucky	$31,411	$15.10
33	South Dakota	$32,506	$15.63
34	Nevada	$33,779	$16.24
35	Missouri	$32,633	$15.69
36	Kansas	$31,891	$15.33
37	New Mexico	$33,662	$16.18
38	North Carolina	$32,548	$15.65
39	Delaware	$33,136	$15.93
40	Tennessee	$31,550	$15.17
41	Florida	$30,960	$14.88
42	Arkansas	$29,839	$14.35
43	West Virginia	$26,886	$12.93
44	Georgia	$31,004	$14.91
45	Texas	$31,744	$15.26
46	Virginia	$32,184	$15.47
47	South Carolina	$30,226	$14.53
48	Oklahoma	$29,732	$14.29
49	Mississippi	$30,151	$14.50
50	Louisiana	$28,417	$13.66
51	Alabama	$27,203	$13.08

Top medical assistant jobs near you

Highest paying cities for medical assistants

The highest-paying cities for medical assistants are Vancouver, WA, Portland, OR, and San Francisco, CA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Vancouver, WA	$45,301	$21.78
2	Portland, OR	$42,188	$20.28
3	San Francisco, CA	$40,969	$19.70
4	Worcester, MA	$39,748	$19.11
5	Washington, DC	$39,627	$19.05
6	Urban Honolulu, HI	$38,854	$18.68
7	Minneapolis, MN	$38,094	$18.31
8	Rochester, NY	$36,873	$17.73
9	Rochester, NH	$36,479	$17.54
10	Chicago, IL	$36,405	$17.50
11	Denver, CO	$36,225	$17.42
12	Madison, WI	$36,134	$17.37
13	Phoenix, AZ	$35,416	$17.03
14	Baltimore, MD	$34,731	$16.70
15	Washington, NJ	$34,459	$16.57
16	Salt Lake City, UT	$34,179	$16.43
17	Portland, ME	$34,081	$16.39
18	Grand Rapids, MI	$34,028	$16.36
19	Las Vegas, NV	$33,636	$16.17
20	Omaha, NE	$33,457	$16.09

Medical Assistants are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Medical assistant salary details

A medical assistant's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $43,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average medical assistant salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a medical assistant's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$43,000	$3,583	$21
75th Percentile	$39,000	$3,250	$19
Average	$34,900	$2,908	$17
25th Percentile	$31,000	$2,583	$15
10th Percentile	$27,000	$2,250	$13

Highest paying medical assistant jobs

The highest paying types of medical assistants are optometric assistant, medical internship, and medical assistant instructor.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Medical Internship	$50,843	$4,237	$24.44	127,692
Medical Scribe	$30,045	$2,504	$14.44	80,035
Medical Assisting Extern	$35,737	$2,978	$17.18	81,077

Top companies hiring medical assistants now:

Which companies pay medical assistants the most?

Medical assistant salaries at Columbia University in the City of New York and Adobe are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average medical assistant salary at companies like Conviva and AIG are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Columbia University in the City of New York	$47,378	$22.78
2	Adobe	$46,108	$22.17
3	Conviva	$44,910	$21.59
4	AIG	$44,879	$21.58
5	University of California-Berkeley	$44,832	$21.55
6	Seattle Cancer Care Alliance	$44,703	$21.49
7	Student Conservation Association	$44,163	$21.23
8	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$44,052	$21.18
9	The University of Chicago	$43,120	$20.73
10	UC Santa Barbara	$43,092	$20.72
11	UC Merced	$42,873	$20.61
12	Lawrence General Hospital	$42,837	$20.59
13	Oakland University	$42,817	$20.59
14	Rowan University	$42,765	$20.56
15	SoCalGas	$42,472	$20.42
16	University of California	$42,435	$20.40
17	Medical University of South Carolina	$42,384	$20.38
18	New York Institute of Technology	$42,220	$20.30
19	Massachusetts General Hospital	$42,182	$20.28
20	Mount Auburn Hospital	$41,928	$20.16

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$37,000$36,600$36,200$35,800$35,400$35,000

MaleFemale

Medical assistant salary trends

The average medical assistant salary has risen by $6,572 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average medical assistant earned $28,328 annually, but today, they earn $34,900 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for medical assistants over the last decade.

Compare medical assistant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average medical assistant salary over time

Compare medical assistant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Medical assistant salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$34,900	$16.78	+2.9%
2024	$33,900	$16.29	+3.4%
2023	$32,700	$15.73	+3.4%
2022	$31,600	$15.20	+2.9%
2021	$30,700	$14.76	+3.0%

Recently added medical assistant salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Centerstone	Inhs Medical Assistant	Bloomington, IN	06/30/2025	$32,870
Disneyland Resort	Medical Assistant/Bxmo (Basic X-Ray Machine Operator)	Anaheim, CA	06/30/2025	$66,262
Sanford Health	Medication Assistant, Certified, Long Term Care-Nights	Loveland, CO	06/30/2025	$40,697
Sutterhealth	Medical Assistant II, Surgical Specialties	Jackson, MS	06/30/2025	$58,186
Doc's Drugs	Medical Assistant	Barling, AR	06/30/2025	$41,740
Doc's Drugs	Medical Assistant	Clarksburg, WV	06/30/2025	$41,740
Doc's Drugs	Medical Assistant	Raleigh, NC	06/30/2025	$41,740
PM Pediatrics	Pediatric Urgent Care-Medical Assistant (Per-Diem)	Los Angeles, CA	06/30/2025	$35,479
PM Pediatrics	Medical Assistant-	Yonkers, NY	06/30/2025	$35,479
Tarantino Properties Inc.	Med Tech/Cma	Reno, NV	06/30/2025	$39,653