In this Article
By: Hana LaRock
Professional insights: Sheila Mickool
Median Annual MA Salary
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median national annual salary for medical assistants is $44,200. The top 10% of medical assistants earn more than $57,830 annually.
Medical Assistants
10%$35,020
25%$37,610
50%$44,200Median
75%$48,160
90%$57,830
Median Hourly Wage$21
Job growth12.5%
Total Employment793,460
| State | Median Salary | Bottom 10% | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $34,980 | $28,280 | $43,530 |
| Alaska | $51,860 | $43,680 | $66,820 |
| Arizona | $45,440 | $37,840 | $50,580 |
| Arkansas | $37,150 | $30,620 | $45,750 |
| California | $48,050 | $37,610 | $75,180 |
| Colorado | $47,270 | $38,010 | $57,990 |
| Connecticut | $46,500 | $37,710 | $58,880 |
| Delaware | $41,830 | $34,270 | $51,170 |
| District of Columbia | $49,740 | $39,000 | $62,630 |
| Florida | $41,380 | $35,320 | $48,520 |
| Georgia | $39,000 | $31,130 | $48,950 |
| Hawaii | $48,820 | $39,090 | $58,690 |
| Idaho | $43,400 | $35,340 | $55,700 |
| Illinois | $45,490 | $35,560 | $54,960 |
| Indiana | $42,390 | $35,930 | $48,550 |
| Iowa | $43,670 | $36,190 | $50,950 |
| Kansas | $39,090 | $33,030 | $47,920 |
| Kentucky | $38,750 | $30,220 | $47,100 |
| Louisiana | $35,870 | $26,580 | $42,450 |
| Maine | $46,540 | $38,480 | $57,060 |
| Maryland | $45,060 | $37,040 | $55,500 |
| Massachusetts | $48,540 | $40,190 | $60,850 |
| Michigan | $38,840 | $35,090 | $47,280 |
| Minnesota | $49,380 | $39,560 | $58,910 |
| Mississippi | $34,800 | $28,080 | $44,600 |
| Missouri | $39,310 | $33,370 | $46,940 |
| Montana | $45,440 | $37,750 | $53,010 |
| Nebraska | $46,080 | $35,620 | $56,990 |
| Nevada | $43,450 | $35,280 | $49,260 |
| New Hampshire | $48,040 | $38,300 | $57,580 |
| New Jersey | $46,280 | $35,150 | $57,470 |
| New Mexico | $39,000 | $33,140 | $50,220 |
| New York | $46,040 | $36,980 | $58,250 |
| North Carolina | $42,600 | $34,920 | $51,720 |
| North Dakota | $41,040 | $35,430 | $56,620 |
| Ohio | $40,430 | $35,270 | $48,300 |
| Oklahoma | $37,580 | $31,200 | $46,310 |
| Oregon | $49,900 | $40,830 | $61,100 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,810 | $35,720 | $49,890 |
| Rhode Island | $45,820 | $38,390 | $51,430 |
| South Carolina | $38,820 | $31,240 | $47,120 |
| South Dakota | $39,350 | $31,450 | $47,840 |
| Tennessee | $38,150 | $32,180 | $48,080 |
| Texas | $38,930 | $30,160 | $48,350 |
| Utah | $43,040 | $34,990 | $50,930 |
| Vermont | $45,330 | $39,310 | $52,720 |
| Virginia | $42,310 | $35,040 | $48,510 |
| Washington | $55,120 | $43,810 | $69,320 |
| West Virginia | $35,860 | $28,620 | $43,190 |
| Wisconsin | $47,610 | $38,440 | $55,880 |
| Wyoming | $39,240 | $31,340 | $49,180 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2024 median salary; projected job growth through 2034. Actual salaries may vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.
Factors that Affect Medical Assistant Pay
Actual salaries for medical assistants can vary based on specialization within the field, location, years of experience, education, and a variety of other factors. Administrative medical assistants’ duties will differ from clinical medical assistants, for instance, though there may be some overlap of responsibilities.
A full-time medical assistant may receive a benefits package that could include healthcare, vacation, holiday pay, sick leave, and a 401(k) plan. According to the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), approximately 97% of all full-time medical assistants receive benefits from their employer.
Where Medical Assistants Work
Your first thought about where medical assistants work might be doctors’ offices, but many work in other medical settings:
| Physicians’ Offices | 57% |
| Hospitals | 15% |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 8% |
| Chiropractors’ Offices | 4% |
Medical Assistant Salary by Workplace
Now, take a look at BLS salaries for those same four workplaces.
| Workplace | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Hospitals | $45,760 |
| Doctor’s Offices | $42,200 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $50,250 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $37,460 |
How Can I Earn More as a Medical Assistant?
Racking up years of experience is one way to boost your medical assistant salary, but there are also other ways to enhance your ability to earn top dollar:
Consider a New Career
For some, medical assisting is a stepping stone to a higher-paying role. For instance, you could go back to school to become a nurse. Your extensive knowledge and experience working with patients would give you an advantage over students who are just starting.
Want to continue as a medical assistant? You can work toward a management position in which you supervise other medical assistants. Job advancement typically adds up to a higher clinical medical assistant salary.
Job Outlook for Medical Assistants
Jobs for medical assistants are expected to grow by 12.5% through 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the BLS. This is partly due to the growing baby boom population, which will continue to create demand for medical services.
New and changing tasks for medical assistants also are pushing up demand for this role. For example, as more and more physicians’ practices switch to electronic health records (EHRs), the need for tech-savvy medical assistants will increase.
Though medical assistants work mostly in primary care—a steadily growing sector of healthcare—an increasing number of group practices, clinics, and other healthcare facilities also will need medical assistants and other support workers.
Many healthcare facilities depend on state budgets and other funding to operate at their best. If a state’s budget doesn’t allot enough money for maximum efficiency, there may be fewer jobs available for medical assistants and other healthcare staff. In other cases, some states may simply have fewer facilities due to the size of their population and their medical needs.
Best states for medical assistants
While job duties are generally the same no matter where you live, some states offer higher salaries and employ more medical assistants than others. Much of the demand for medical assistants is determined by a state’s demographics and how many facilities it has for baby boomers and the elderly, who partly drive these statistics. Here are the 10 best states for medical assistants based on pay, the highest location quotients and the lowest cost of living (our methodology is at the bottom of the page).
#1 Georgia
- Median MA salary: $39,000
- Cost of living index: 91.3
- Employment: 26,800
- Forecast for growth (through 2032): 23%
State highlights: Thriving cities and charming towns, a temperate climate, a lower-than-expected cost-of-living and a sixth-place ranking for medical assistant employment make Georgia a winner.
#2 Michigan
- Median MA salary: $38,840
- Cost of living index: 90.4
- Employment: 23,620
- Forecast for growth (through 2032): 13%
State highlights: Known for its natural beauty and commitment to health and research, Michigan strikes the right balance between earnings, employment (ranked eighth) and cost of living to snag the #2 spot.
#3 Texas
- Median MA salary: $38,930
- Cost of living index: 92.7
- Employment: 72,280
- Forecast for growth (through 2032): 25%
State highlights: Second in employment ranking, home to “Texas-sized” medical campuses, ranking 10th in location quotient and a cost of living index lower than the national average makes Texas a worthy consideration.
#4 Indiana
- Median MA salary: $42,390
- Cost of living index: 90.5
- Employment: 22,090
- Forecast for growth (through 2032): 15%
State highlights: This small, midwestern state is known for its slower pace, friendly residents and affordable housing. Indiana ranks in the top 15 states in three categories: employment, location quotient, and cost of living.
#5 California
- Median MA salary: $48,050
- Cost of living index: 144.8
- Employment: 110,350
- Forecast for growth (through 2032): 26%
State highlights: Beyond its beautiful beaches, majestic mountains and fertile wine country, California ranks first in employment and seventh in salary for medical assistants. The state’s only downfall—and it’s a serious issue—is its cost of living index at 139.7, which places California 47th out of 50 for affordability.
#6 Arizona
- Median MA salary: $45,440
- Cost of living index: 111.5
- Employment: 23,300
- Forecast for growth (through 2032): 34%
State highlights: A magnet for retirees and snowbirds, Arizona has a healthy appreciation for the need to provide high-quality medical services. The state ranks 5th in Location Quotient and 11th in employment.
#7 Florida
- Median MA salary: $41,380
- Cost of living index: 102.8
- Employment: 59,870
- Forecast for growth (through 2032): 23%
State highlights: The Sunshine State lives up to its reputation as a paradise for retirees with a supportive medical community and fun in the sun at the beach, the golf club or Walt Disney World. Florida ranks third in employment and seventh in Location Quotient.
#8 Oregon
- Median MA salary: $49,900
- Cost of living index: 112.0
- Employment: 11,610
- Forecast for growth (through 2032): 21%
State highlights: Known for its incredible scenery, concern for the environment and cycling, Oregon is an amazing place to live. On the quirky side, consumers are prohibited from pumping their own gas. The main drawback is that the state ranks low for affordability, but that’s offset by high wages for medical assistants and a top location quotient ranking.
#9 Ohio
- Median MA salary: $40,430
- Cost of living index: 94.2
- Employment: 23,210
- Forecast for growth (through 2032): 9%
State highlights: Home of the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, Ohio has a vibrant medical community with an abundance of professional organizations for those in medical fields. Columbus and Cincinnati are beautiful small cities and the state is affordable.
#10 Tennessee
- Median MA salary: $38,150
- Cost of living index: 90.5
- Employment: 19,940
- Forecast for growth (through 2032): 23%
State highlights: Home of the prestigious Vanderbilt University’s School of Medicine, the Grand Ole Opry and the Great Smoky Mountains, the Volunteer State has also been home to Dolly Parton, Justin Timberlake and Davy Crockett. Tennessee has a rich history, ranks sixth in cost of living and has a good location quotient, making it an attractive state for medical assistants.
State salary guides for medical assistants
Trying to figure out where to begin or further your medical assistant career? Salary may be a consideration when choosing where to practice your allied healthcare career, so doing your research is important. Here are salary guides for some popular states:
Best-Paying Cities for Medical Assistants
The BLS ranks metropolitan areas by salary, and California dominates the top 10 list for medical assistants, along with a few other locations that may surprise you.
Which Cities Employ the Most Medical Assistants?
If you’re looking for a city that has a high number of medical assistants—and possibly demand and jobs—here are the top 10 metropolitan areas with the most medical assistant jobs.
MA Salary and Job Growth Comparisons
Medical assistants are one specialty within a diverse group of healthcare assistants who work to keep patients healthy. Because of different skill sets and education, salaries for various healthcare assistants vary as well. Here are some median annual salaries from the BLS for four other in-demand healthcare careers, as compared to medical assistants:
How Does Job Growth Compare?
The BLS projects growth for all jobs to be 3% through 2034, but some roles will be much more in demand. This chart shows how medical assisting compares with healthcare careers that require similar education.
| Healthcare Position | Projected Job Growth |
|---|---|
| Medical Assistant | 12.5% |
| Physical Therapy Assistant | 22% |
| Phlebotomist | 5.6% |
| Dental Laboratory Technician | -4.7% |
| Dental Assistant | 6.4% |
| Medical Records Specialist | 7.1% |
| Pharmacy Technician | 6.4% |
| Dental Hygienist | 7% |
Top states ranking methodology
We started with the four main questions you might ask yourself when thinking about which states are best for medical assistants:
- Where are the jobs?
- How much can I earn?
- What is the cost of living?
- What is the job outlook?
To answer these questions, we pulled data for each state from three sources:
Employment, annual median wage, and location quotient: From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical Assistants
Cost of living Index: From the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center’s (MERIC) Cost of Living Data Series
10-year job growth percentage of change: From the U.S. Department of Labor’s Projections Central site for state employment projections, recommended by the BLS for state employment projections
To determine the rank of each state:
- We loaded employment, annual median wage, location quotient, and cost of living index data for each state
- We ranked each data element in relation to all states
- We totaled the rankings for each state
- In the event of ties in ranking, we used the 10-year job growth percentage-of-change as a tiebreaker
Definition of the data elements:
Employment: The current number of medical assistant jobs in each state
Annual median wage: The mid-point for annual earnings of all medical assistants; half earn below this midpoint and half earn above the midpoint
Location quotient: The ratio of medical assistant employment in a state compared to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates that medical assistants in the state have a higher share of employment concentration than the national average, and a location quotient less than one indicates that occupation is less prevalent in the state than it is nationally.
Cost of living index: Derived by averaging costs in each state for living expenses, including housing, groceries, transportation, and health. One hundred is the national average. Because they are more affordable compared to the national average, states with an index below 100 are ranked higher than those with an index above 100 (which are more costly than the national average).
10-year job growth percentage: Indicates the projected percentage of growth over 10 years. This data element is used in reporting and as a tie-breaker for rankings.