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Medical Assistant

Medical Assistant Salary: How Much MAs Make Hourly & Annually

by 
Jessica Holbrook, MSN, RN, CCRN

Becoming a medical assistant is a great career choice for anyone looking to work in the healthcare industry. Medical assistants get to help patients in a lot of different ways, enjoy good work-life balance, and receive great benefits.

But what is the average medical assistant salary? 

The median salary for a medical assistant in the United States is $42,000 annually which comes out to $20.19 per hour. Outpatient care centers generally pay the most ($46,090/yr), and chiropractic offices offer the least ($35,131/yr). 

Other factors like experience, where you live, and if you are certified or not also affect how much you'll make as a medical assistants. Being certified and living in a large city will probably mean you are paid more than someone uncertified in a rural area. 

>> Learn about Stepful's 4-Month Online Medical Assistant Program

Medical Assistant Salary Overview

As mentioned, typical medical assistant salaries are around $42,000 per year or $20.19 per hour. This is a decent wage, and there is a lot of room for growth in the career. 

The highest 10% of medical assistants earned more than $56,480 in 2023, or about $27.20 per hour. The lowest 10%, on the other hand, made $33,500 annually (about $16.10 per hour)

Note that your salary is affected by things like what type of medical assistant you are, how much experience you have, where you live, and much more.

Now is a great time to start training to become a medical assistant. The job outlook and demand are great, and many certification programs are accepting new students. From 2023-2033, employment opportunities for medical assistants are expected to increase by 14%—much faster than the nationwide average for all careers.

Not only is the job outlook for medical assistants great, there are also lots of opportunities for career growth. Many medical assistants go on to have careers in healthcare and health information management, nursing, and health sciences. Starting out as a medical assistant serves as a springboard into a potentially lucrative career in healthcare. 

>> Learn More: Medical Assistant Statistics

Medical Assistant Salary by State

As is the case with most jobs, medical assistant salaries vary considerably based on where you live. 

Here is the median annual and hourly wage for medical assistants by state:

>> Learn about Stepful's 4-Month Online Medical Assistant Program

Medical Assistant Salary by City

Looking at city-specific data can help you see what you’ll likely earn as a medical assistant. Below, you can see average salary for medical assistants in some large cities across the U.S. 

To see all city data, check out the BLS’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics page and search “Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area”.

Here is the median medical assistant salary in some of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas:

  • Albuquerque, NM – $38,310 ($18.42)
  • Ann Arbor, MI – $42,710 ($20.54)
  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA – $39,720 ($19.10)
  • Austin-Round Rock, TX – $44,880 ($21.58)
  • Bakersfield, CA – $39,400 ($18.94)
  • Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD – $43,720 ($21.02)
  • Baton Rouge, LA – $35,530 ($17.08)
  • Birmingham-Hoover, AL – $36,110 ($17.36)
  • Boise City, ID – $41,300 ($19.86)
  • Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH – $47,960 ($23.06)
  • Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT – $46,620 ($22.41)
  • Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY – $40,820 ($19.63)
  • Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL – $39,190 ($18.84)
  • Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC – $43,230 ($20.78)
  • Chattanooga, TN-GA – $37,150 ($17.86)
  • Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI – $45,010 ($21.64)
  • Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN – $39,860 ($19.16)
  • Cleveland-Elyria, OH – $38,960 ($18.73)
  • Colorado Springs, CO – $43,420 ($20.88)
  • Columbus, OH – $39,170 ($18.83)
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX – $39,240 ($18.87)
  • Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO – $46,370 ($22.29)
  • Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI – $37,920 ($18.23)
  • Durham-Chapel Hill, NC – $42,160 ($20.27)
  • Fresno, CA – $44,940 ($21.61)
  • Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI – $39,510 ($18.99)
  • Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT – $45,670 ($21.96)
  • Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX – $38,810 ($18.66)
  • Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN – $43,010 ($20.68)
  • Jacksonville, FL – $38,210 ($18.37)
  • Kansas City, MO-KS – $40,530 ($19.49)
  • Knoxville, TN – $37,230 ($17.90)
  • Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV – $38,810 ($18.66)
  • Lexington-Fayette, KY – $38,190 ($18.36)
  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA – $44,740 ($21.51)
  • Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN – $38,800 ($18.66)
  • McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX – $28,650 ($13.77)
  • Memphis, TN-MS-AR – $37,550 ($18.05)
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL – $39,620 ($19.05)
  • Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI – $47,490 ($22.83)
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI – $50,610 ($24.33)
  • Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN – $39,760 ($19.11)
  • New Orleans-Metairie, LA – $35,920 ($17.27)
  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA – $46,530 ($22.37)
  • North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL – $42,800 ($20.58)
  • Oklahoma City, OK – $37,840 ($18.19)
  • Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL – $37,400 ($17.98)
  • Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD – $44,700 ($21.49)
  • Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ – $45,250 ($21.75)
  • Pittsburgh, PA – $38,240 ($18.39)
  • Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA – $49,850 ($23.96)
  • Provo-Orem, UT – $37,410 ($17.99)
  • Providence-Warwick, RI-MA – $43,980 ($21.15)
  • Raleigh, NC – $40,570 ($19.50)
  • Richmond, VA – $39,610 ($19.04)
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA – $39,520 ($19.00)
  • Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA – $59,520 ($28.61)
  • Salt Lake City, UT – $42,820 ($20.59)
  • San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX – $37,550 ($18.05)
  • San Diego-Carlsbad, CA – $46,850 ($22.52)
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA – $59,770 ($28.74)
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA – $60,500 ($29.09)
  • Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA – $58,660 ($28.20)
  • St. Louis, MO-IL – $39,160 ($18.83)
  • Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL – $38,540 ($18.53)
  • Tucson, AZ – $38,930 ($18.72)
  • Tulsa, OK – $37,380 ($17.97)
  • Urban Honolulu, HI – $46,360 ($22.29)
  • Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC – $38,830 ($18.67)
  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – $46,570 ($22.39)

Do Medical Assistants Make Good Money?

The median salary for a full-time worker in the United States in the second quarter of 2023 was about $54,132. This includes all workers from all educational backgrounds. 

For workers without a Bachelor's degree or higher education level, the average hourly wage is around $20. This is fairly close to the average hourly wage for a medical assistant, at about $18 per hour. 

Compared to similar healthcare jobs, medical assistants do pretty well. They make about $7,000 per year more than certified nursing assistants. Medical assistants, dental assistants, pharmacy technicians, and phlebotomists all earn very similar wages when compared to each other. 

Other healthcare jobs do earn significantly higher wages than medical assistants, but they require a lot more schooling. The average salary for registered nurses is $86,070, for example. However, they complete about twice as much schooling as a certified medical assistant. 

>> Learn More: Highest-Paying Medical Assistant Specialties

Certified Medical Assistant vs. Medical Assistant Salary

Certified medical assistants make up to 10% more than medical assistants without a certification. Being certified gives your employer reassurance that you are qualified and have the training to do the job well.

In order to become a certified medical assistant, you must complete a training program and pass an exam given by the American Association of Medical Assistants (CMA), American Medical Technologists (RMA), or National Healthcareer Association (CCMA).

You can learn more about medical assistant certifications here.

How Much Medical Assistant School Costs

Going to school to become a medical assistant can be expensive. For a one -year certificate program, expect to pay $2,500 to $10,00. Associate degrees in medical assisting from a Community college cost between $6,000 and $15,000 per year. 

However, with a 10% increase in pay, even the lowest paid medical assistant would recuperate their schooling costs within about two to three years. 

Luckily, there are online medical assistant training programs that cost much less, can be done completely online, and can even help you get a job. Our program here at Stepful costs under $2,000 and only takes 4 months.

Many healthcare facilities also have tuition reimbursement programs. If you agree to work for their corporation for a certain period of time, many companies will pay for some or all of your schooling. You can also try to get federal grants and medical assistant scholarships to put towards schooling costs.

>> Learn More: How Much Medical Assistant Programs Cost

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting a Better Medical Assistant Salary

Just like any job, you’ll want to be on the higher end of a medical assistant salary range. 

Simple things like being responsible and reliable make it more likely that you’ll get things like raises, bonuses, and promotions. 

Besides being a generally good employee, there are a few ways to make yourself more valuable in the industry: 

  • Get certified. Although it takes some work and commitment to get medical assistant certification, being certified pays off in the long run. Learn more about medical assistant certifications here.
  • Stay on the top of the industry. Making suggestions to improve efficiency or patient care is a great way to position yourself for future raises. 
  • Learn about new technologies. Add to your resume by learning about how to use new tools and software that come out.
  • Ask your manager about opportunities for advancement. If you feel like you do excellent work, don’t be afraid to ask for raises and new opportunities for growth.

Medical assistant jobs are a good way to earn a decent wage and make a difference in the world. It’s a fulfilling job where you spend your days helping people who need it the most.

>> Learn about Stepful's 4-Month Online Medical Assistant Program

>> Learn more about Stepful’s Online Medical Assistant Training Program

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