SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician. Excludes “Physician Assistants” (29-1071).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 31-9092.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $36,050 | $3,004 | $693 | $17.33 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $38,470 | $3,206 | $740 | $18.50 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $45,690 | $3,808 | $879 | $21.97 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $49,180 | $4,098 | $946 | $23.65 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $59,310 | $4,942 | $1,141 | $28.52 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Medical Assistants is $45,690, which is 10% lower. Among the 17 occupations of the field Healthcare Support, it ranks number 7 by median pay. With 817,870 jobs, it makes up about 53 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Medical Assistants pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($59,290), Alaska ($52,560) and District of Columbia ($51,050). The lowest was in Guam ($33,570), Mississippi ($35,360) and Alabama ($36,100). The most jobs were in California (117,060), Texas (75,340) and Florida (66,110). The occupation is most concentrated in Maine, where its share of all jobs is 1.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 19,500 | $59,290 | $58,590 | $28.50 |
| Alaska | 2,140 | $52,560 | $56,630 | $25.27 |
| District of Columbia | 2,260 | $51,050 | $54,890 | $24.54 |
| Minnesota | 10,580 | $50,480 | $51,660 | $24.27 |
| Oregon | 11,840 | $50,410 | $52,400 | $24.24 |
| California | 117,060 | $49,660 | $55,100 | $23.88 |
| Massachusetts | 14,880 | $49,460 | $51,850 | $23.78 |
| Wisconsin | 13,810 | $48,680 | $49,280 | $23.41 |
| Hawaii | 3,890 | $48,410 | $49,730 | $23.28 |
| Colorado | 13,160 | $48,400 | $49,490 | $23.27 |
| New Hampshire | 3,000 | $48,020 | $49,390 | $23.09 |
| New York | 40,710 | $48,000 | $48,750 | $23.08 |
| Maine | 4,480 | $47,580 | $49,000 | $22.88 |
| Connecticut | 10,250 | $47,430 | $48,610 | $22.81 |
| Nebraska | 2,380 | $47,370 | $48,040 | $22.78 |
| Vermont | 1,140 | $47,250 | $48,300 | $22.71 |
| New Jersey | 20,330 | $47,210 | $47,400 | $22.70 |
| Rhode Island | 3,210 | $47,190 | $47,550 | $22.69 |
| Montana | 2,460 | $46,820 | $46,570 | $22.51 |
| Maryland | 16,390 | $46,410 | $46,390 | $22.31 |
| Puerto Rico | 660 | $46,120 | $43,610 | $22.17 |
| Illinois | 20,260 | $46,090 | $45,770 | $22.16 |
| North Dakota | 600 | $45,980 | $46,870 | $22.11 |
| Arizona | 21,460 | $45,940 | $45,790 | $22.09 |
| Iowa | 5,990 | $45,480 | $44,930 | $21.87 |
| Utah | 9,990 | $45,360 | $44,760 | $21.81 |
| Nevada | 7,760 | $45,200 | $44,170 | $21.73 |
| North Carolina | 23,650 | $45,140 | $44,090 | $21.70 |
| Indiana | 19,630 | $45,110 | $44,500 | $21.69 |
| Virginia | 16,650 | $44,740 | $44,050 | $21.51 |
| Idaho | 5,250 | $44,700 | $44,240 | $21.49 |
| Delaware | 2,880 | $44,490 | $44,300 | $21.39 |
| Pennsylvania | 23,050 | $43,920 | $43,500 | $21.12 |
| Florida | 66,110 | $43,680 | $43,290 | $21.00 |
| Ohio | 28,950 | $42,810 | $42,610 | $20.58 |
| South Dakota | 1,340 | $41,870 | $42,170 | $20.13 |
| Georgia | 28,780 | $41,600 | $42,590 | $20.00 |
| South Carolina | 12,110 | $41,160 | $42,340 | $19.79 |
| Wyoming | 1,040 | $40,920 | $42,680 | $19.67 |
| Missouri | 13,050 | $40,440 | $42,030 | $19.44 |
| Michigan | 27,810 | $39,870 | $41,550 | $19.17 |
| Tennessee | 19,180 | $39,570 | $41,480 | $19.02 |
| Texas | 75,340 | $39,520 | $41,240 | $19.00 |
| Kansas | 5,510 | $39,510 | $41,490 | $19.00 |
| Kentucky | 13,440 | $39,270 | $40,940 | $18.88 |
| New Mexico | 5,400 | $39,230 | $41,490 | $18.86 |
| Oklahoma | 10,510 | $38,750 | $40,370 | $18.63 |
| Virgin Islands | 120 | $38,130 | $38,770 | $18.33 |
| Arkansas | 5,150 | $37,760 | $38,930 | $18.15 |
| West Virginia | 4,540 | $37,180 | $38,090 | $17.87 |
| Louisiana | 12,310 | $36,320 | $36,180 | $17.46 |
| Alabama | 13,300 | $36,100 | $36,770 | $17.35 |
| Mississippi | 3,340 | $35,360 | $36,240 | $17.00 |
| Guam | 270 | $33,570 | $33,140 | $16.14 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Healthcare Support Workers, All Other$48,430 a year
- Dental Assistants$48,070 a year
- Medical Equipment Preparers$47,700 a year
- Phlebotomists$45,230 a year
- Psychiatric Aides$44,910 a year
- Nursing Assistants$42,260 a year
Common questions
How much do Medical Assistants earn in the United States?
The median pay was $45,690 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,050 and the highest-paid 10% more than $59,310.
How many people work as Medical Assistants?
About 817,870 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.