The short answer
How much does a medical assistant make?
Medical assistants earn a national median of $45,690 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025) — about $21.97 per hour on a standard 2,080-hour full-time year, roughly $3,808 per month before taxes. Where you work changes the real number: every state's median and cost-of-living-adjusted rank is in the table below.
Minnesota $53,362 · Washington $51,963 · Nebraska $51,156 · Iowa $50,702 · North Dakota $50,306
Washington leads on the raw paycheck ($59,290) and ranks #2 once cost of living is applied. Hawaii, California, and Massachusetts lose the most purchasing power of any states.
The U.S. median medical assistant wage is $45,690 (BLS, May 2025). Lowest adjusted pay lands in Hawaii (~$26,168).
Medical assistant pay in all 50 states + DC
Ranked by cost-of-living-adjusted pay (highest real pay first). “Adjusted pay” = median wage ÷ (state cost-of-living index ÷ 100). Select a state for its full breakdown.
| # | State | Median wage (BLS 2025) | Cost-of-living index | Adjusted (real) pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $50,480 | 94.6 | $53,362 |
| 2 | Washington | $59,290 | 114.1 | $51,963 |
| 3 | Nebraska | $47,370 | 92.6 | $51,156 |
| 4 | Iowa | $45,480 | 89.7 | $50,702 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $45,980 | 91.4 | $50,306 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $48,680 | 97.7 | $49,826 |
| 7 | Indiana | $45,110 | 91.0 | $49,571 |
| 8 | Montana | $46,820 | 95.5 | $49,026 |
| 9 | Illinois | $46,090 | 94.7 | $48,669 |
| 10 | Colorado | $48,400 | 102.7 | $47,128 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $45,140 | 97.8 | $46,155 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $41,870 | 91.9 | $45,560 |
| 13 | Missouri | $40,440 | 89.0 | $45,438 |
| 14 | Ohio | $42,810 | 94.3 | $45,398 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $43,920 | 97.2 | $45,185 |
| 16 | Nevada | $45,200 | 100.2 | $45,110 |
| 17 | Oregon | $50,410 | 111.8 | $45,089 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $38,750 | 86.0 | $45,058 |
| 19 | Georgia | $41,600 | 92.5 | $44,973 |
| 20 | Idaho | $44,700 | 99.9 | $44,745 |
| 21 | Kansas | $39,510 | 88.8 | $44,493 |
| 22 | Virginia | $44,740 | 100.8 | $44,385 |
| 23 | Utah | $45,360 | 102.2 | $44,384 |
| 24 | Michigan | $39,870 | 90.1 | $44,251 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $39,570 | 90.3 | $43,821 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $40,920 | 93.7 | $43,671 |
| 27 | Delaware | $44,490 | 101.9 | $43,660 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $41,160 | 94.7 | $43,464 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $48,020 | 111.4 | $43,106 |
| 30 | Texas | $39,520 | 92.1 | $42,910 |
| 31 | Florida | $43,680 | 102.2 | $42,740 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $47,190 | 110.6 | $42,667 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $39,270 | 92.5 | $42,454 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $37,760 | 89.6 | $42,143 |
| 35 | Maine | $47,580 | 113.0 | $42,106 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $37,180 | 88.3 | $42,106 |
| 37 | Connecticut | $47,430 | 112.7 | $42,085 |
| 38 | Alaska | $52,560 | 124.9 | $42,082 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $39,230 | 93.7 | $41,868 |
| 40 | Vermont | $47,250 | 113.6 | $41,593 |
| 41 | Arizona | $45,940 | 110.7 | $41,500 |
| 42 | New Jersey | $47,210 | 115.1 | $41,017 |
| 43 | Alabama | $36,100 | 88.6 | $40,745 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $35,360 | 87.3 | $40,504 |
| 45 | Maryland | $46,410 | 115.4 | $40,217 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $36,320 | 92.3 | $39,350 |
| 47 | New York | $48,000 | 125.1 | $38,369 |
| 48 | District of Columbia | $51,050 | 138.8 | $36,780 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | $49,460 | 141.2 | $35,028 |
| 50 | California | $49,660 | 142.3 | $34,898 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $48,410 | 185.0 | $26,168 |
How we calculated this
- Median wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, for Medical Assistants (SOC 31-9092). We use the median (the typical medical assistant) rather than the mean, which a few very high earners can pull upward.
- Cost-of-living index (U.S. average = 100) is from World Population Review's 2025-2026 Cost of Living Index by State — the same index we use for our pharmacy technician pay analysis, so the two occupations are directly comparable.
- Adjusted (real) pay = median wage ÷ (state cost-of-living index ÷ 100). A state with an index of 110 is 10% more expensive than the national average, so a $44,000 wage there has the buying power of about $40,000.
- Figures are rounded and meant for comparison, not as an offer or a guarantee. Individual pay depends on setting (specialty vs. primary care vs. urgent care vs. outpatient surgical), shift, certification (CCMA, CMA, RMA), and experience.
What this means for your next move
Use adjusted pay, not the sticker wage, when you compare offers across states — and then make sure your resume actually earns the top of that range. Medical assistant hiring rewards the same things this data hints at: documented clinical scope (rooming volume, injections, venipuncture, EKG), EHR systems named outright, certifications stated plainly (CCMA, CMA, RMA), and operational impact a hiring manager can scan in seconds.
That's exactly what a Pharm rewrite surfaces. See the early-career and mid-career tracks, or drop your resume for a free 60-second read.
More medical assistant career resources
Pay data is only part of the picture. These guides cover the credential and positioning moves that push medical assistants toward the top of the wage band.
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Reviewed by Keyerrá Buckley, CPhT, CLSSGB — Allied Healthcare Educator and founder of The Pharm.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025; cost-of-living index from World Population Review (2025-2026). Last verified June 2026.
See the full 2026 Allied Health Pay & Licensure Report — all four roles, national and cost-of-living-adjusted state pay, plus state licensure, in one place.
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