Medical assistants salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,050 | $17.33 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $45,690 | $21.97 |
| Mean (average) | $46,120 | $22.17 |
| 90th percentile | $59,310 | $28.52 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Medical assistants pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $36,100 | $29,630 | $45,040 | 13,300 | 1.2 |
| Alaska | $52,560 | $46,060 | $65,040 | 2,140 | 1.25 |
| Arizona | $45,940 | $38,100 | $51,310 | 21,460 | 1.26 |
| Arkansas | $37,760 | $30,840 | $46,060 | 5,150 | 0.75 |
| California | $49,660 | $39,290 | $77,300 | 117,060 | 1.22 |
| Colorado | $48,400 | $39,130 | $59,760 | 13,160 | 0.87 |
| Connecticut | $47,430 | $38,480 | $59,530 | 10,250 | 1.15 |
| Delaware | $44,490 | $36,540 | $57,280 | 2,880 | 1.13 |
| District of Columbia | $51,050 | $39,620 | $76,900 | 2,260 | 0.61 |
| Florida | $43,680 | $35,880 | $49,040 | 66,110 | 1.27 |
| Georgia | $41,600 | $34,270 | $51,430 | 28,780 | 1.12 |
| Guam | $33,570 | $28,430 | $36,410 | 270 | 0.76 |
| Hawaii | $48,410 | $38,580 | $60,030 | 3,890 | 1.18 |
| Idaho | $44,700 | $35,500 | $56,740 | 5,250 | 1.16 |
| Illinois | $46,090 | $36,400 | $56,590 | 20,260 | 0.63 |
| Indiana | $45,110 | $37,060 | $50,480 | 19,630 | 1.17 |
| Iowa | $45,480 | $36,730 | $54,960 | 5,990 | 0.73 |
| Kansas | $39,510 | $35,140 | $48,300 | 5,510 | 0.73 |
| Kentucky | $39,270 | $32,950 | $47,940 | 13,440 | 1.28 |
| Louisiana | $36,320 | $28,970 | $44,460 | 12,310 | 1.21 |
| Maine | $47,580 | $40,220 | $59,220 | 4,480 | 1.33 |
| Maryland | $46,410 | $36,930 | $57,250 | 16,390 | 1.13 |
| Massachusetts | $49,460 | $43,280 | $61,870 | 14,880 | 0.78 |
| Michigan | $39,870 | $35,000 | $48,330 | 27,810 | 1.2 |
| Minnesota | $50,480 | $40,110 | $60,100 | 10,580 | 0.68 |
| Mississippi | $35,360 | $29,210 | $45,070 | 3,340 | 0.55 |
| Missouri | $40,440 | $35,810 | $48,360 | 13,050 | 0.85 |
| Montana | $46,820 | $38,670 | $56,770 | 2,460 | 0.92 |
| Nebraska | $47,370 | $37,940 | $59,450 | 2,380 | 0.44 |
| Nevada | $45,200 | $37,400 | $55,120 | 7,760 | 0.95 |
| New Hampshire | $48,020 | $39,640 | $60,100 | 3,000 | 0.83 |
| New Jersey | $47,210 | $37,010 | $58,070 | 20,330 | 0.9 |
| New Mexico | $39,230 | $34,600 | $47,850 | 5,400 | 1.18 |
| New York | $48,000 | $37,280 | $59,480 | 40,710 | 0.8 |
| North Carolina | $45,140 | $36,010 | $50,850 | 23,650 | 0.91 |
| North Dakota | $45,980 | $37,650 | $58,230 | 600 | 0.27 |
| Ohio | $42,810 | $36,050 | $48,560 | 28,950 | 0.99 |
| Oklahoma | $38,750 | $31,880 | $47,640 | 10,510 | 1.17 |
| Oregon | $50,410 | $43,760 | $62,160 | 11,840 | 1.14 |
| Pennsylvania | $43,920 | $36,810 | $48,500 | 23,050 | 0.72 |
| Puerto Rico | $46,120 | $22,380 | $60,200 | 660 | 0.13 |
| Rhode Island | $47,190 | $39,280 | $56,840 | 3,210 | 1.22 |
| South Carolina | $41,160 | $34,730 | $49,110 | 12,110 | 1 |
| South Dakota | $41,870 | $35,980 | $48,960 | 1,340 | 0.56 |
| Tennessee | $39,570 | $34,840 | $48,540 | 19,180 | 1.11 |
| Texas | $39,520 | $31,200 | $49,260 | 75,340 | 1.02 |
| Utah | $45,360 | $35,890 | $56,260 | 9,990 | 1.09 |
| Vermont | $47,250 | $40,570 | $58,420 | 1,140 | 0.72 |
| Virgin Islands | $38,130 | $34,790 | $45,560 | 120 | 0.69 |
| Virginia | $44,740 | $37,090 | $52,000 | 16,650 | 0.77 |
| Washington | $59,290 | $46,540 | $74,200 | 19,500 | 1.04 |
| West Virginia | $37,180 | $30,890 | $45,350 | 4,540 | 1.23 |
| Wisconsin | $48,680 | $39,480 | $57,990 | 13,810 | 0.89 |
| Wyoming | $40,920 | $31,200 | $51,840 | 1,040 | 0.7 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for medical assistants
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 109,700. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.2%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for medical assistants
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist CIP 51.0711
- Medical/Clinical Assistant CIP 51.0801
- Anesthesiologist Assistant CIP 51.0809
- Chiropractic Technician/Assistant CIP 51.0813
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
- Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.
- Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.
- Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients.
- Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.
- Collect blood, tissue, or other laboratory specimens, log the specimens, and prepare them for testing.
- Show patients to examination rooms and prepare them for the physician.
- Help physicians examine and treat patients, handing them instruments or materials or performing such tasks as giving injections or removing sutures.
Technology skills
- Epic Systems (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Appointment scheduling software
- Billing software
- Bookkeeping software
- Business software applications
- Data entry software
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Service Orientation, Instructing, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making.
Common job titles: Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), Chiropractor Assistant, Clinical Medical Assistant, Doctor's Assistant, Health Assistant, Ophthalmic Assistant, Ophthalmological Assistant, Optometric Assistant, Outpatient Surgery Assistant, Registered Medical Assistant (RMA).
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do medical assistants make?
The national median annual wage for medical assistants was $45,690 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $36,050 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $59,310. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do medical assistants need?
BLS lists postsecondary nondegree award as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is medical assistants a growing career?
BLS projects employment of medical assistants to change +12.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 109,700 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay medical assistants the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Washington ($59,290), Alaska ($52,560), District of Columbia ($51,050). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.