Medical assistant salary in 2026 varies more by state than by years of experience in the first five years of the career: the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median at roughly $42,000, but the top-paying states like Washington ($53,220), Alaska ($51,340), and California ($50,780) sit $10,000 above low-paying states like Mississippi ($33,420) and West Virginia ($34,100). Getting medical assistant salary above the state median usually comes down to two choices: earning the CCMA or CMA credential, which adds $1.50 to $3.00 per hour at most large employer networks, and moving from a general practice to a specialty clinic such as cardiology or dermatology where medical assistant salary typically runs 8 to 12 percent higher than primary care.
The median medical assistant salary in the United States reached $42,000 in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the top 10 percent earning more than $55,000. Pay varies widely by state — a medical assistant in Washington earns roughly $52,000, while the same role in Mississippi pays closer to $33,000. This guide breaks down medical assistant pay by state, by setting, and by credential, and explains the two concrete moves that shift a medical assistant’s earnings: sitting for the CCMA or RMA exam, and moving from a primary-care office to a specialty practice or hospital.
Quick answer
Medical assistants earned a median $42,000 ($20.19/hour) in May 2024, per BLS. The highest-paying states are Washington ($52,300), District of Columbia ($51,710), Alaska ($50,900), Massachusetts ($50,620), and California ($50,400). Setting matters almost as much as state: outpatient care centers pay ~$44,500 median, hospitals ~$44,200, and physicians’ offices ~$41,700. The single highest-ROI credential is the CCMA (NHA) or RMA (AMT) — certified medical assistants earn 6–10 percent more than uncertified peers on national survey data. [1][2]
Medical Assistant Salary by State 2026: what can you expect in 2026?
Medical assistant salary in 2026 varies more by state than by years of experience in the first five years of the career: the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median at roughly $42,000, but the top-paying states like Washington ($53,220), Alaska ($51,340), and California ($50,780) sit $10,000 above low-paying states like Mississippi ($33,420) and.
Medical Assistant Salary by State 2026: what can you expect in 2026?
Medical assistant salary in 2026 varies more by state than by years of experience in the first five years of the career: the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median at roughly $42,000, but the top-paying states like Washington ($53,220), Alaska ($51,340), and California ($50,780) sit $10,000 above low-paying states like Mississippi ($33,420) and West Virginia ($34,100). Getting medical.
National numbers for 2026
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2024 (the most recent data at time of writing) reported 764,620 medical assistants employed nationwide. The distribution is tight at the low end and stretched at the top:
| Percentile | Hourly wage | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $15.41 | $32,050 |
| 25th | $17.62 | $36,650 |
| 50th (median) | $20.19 | $42,000 |
| 75th | $23.28 | $48,420 |
| 90th | $26.66 | $55,450 |
Wage growth for the occupation has averaged 3.8 percent per year over the last five years, slightly above overall private-sector wage growth. 2026 estimates, adjusted for that trend, put the national median near $43,600. [1]
Medical assistant salary by state
The following table ranks all 50 states and DC by annual mean wage, based on BLS May 2024 state-level data. “Employment” is the count of medical assistants working in that state.
| Rank | State | Annual mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $52,300 | 19,420 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $51,710 | 1,640 |
| 3 | Alaska | $50,900 | 920 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $50,620 | 14,810 |
| 5 | California | $50,400 | 108,210 |
| 6 | Oregon | $49,110 | 10,270 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $48,090 | 11,050 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $47,720 | 2,170 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $47,210 | 8,420 |
| 10 | New York | $46,880 | 42,900 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $46,550 | 2,010 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $46,040 | 17,310 |
| 13 | Colorado | $45,520 | 14,710 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $45,380 | 2,880 |
| 15 | Illinois | $44,610 | 21,220 |
| 16 | Maryland | $44,350 | 10,860 |
| 17 | Nevada | $43,990 | 5,840 |
| 18 | Vermont | $43,620 | 1,150 |
| 19 | Virginia | $43,210 | 17,050 |
| 20 | Arizona | $42,980 | 16,220 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $42,620 | 25,440 |
| 22 | Delaware | $42,410 | 2,010 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $42,300 | 12,470 |
| 24 | Maine | $42,180 | 3,020 |
| 25 | Michigan | $42,040 | 21,110 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $41,870 | 990 |
| 27 | Montana | $41,550 | 2,320 |
| 28 | Texas | $41,310 | 66,590 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $41,160 | 1,840 |
| 30 | Ohio | $41,030 | 20,850 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $40,880 | 4,240 |
| 32 | Florida | $40,740 | 58,860 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $40,540 | 1,670 |
| 34 | Utah | $40,430 | 7,820 |
| 35 | Idaho | $40,220 | 3,770 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $40,090 | 20,650 |
| 37 | Iowa | $39,910 | 5,410 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $39,620 | 3,820 |
| 39 | Kansas | $39,410 | 5,880 |
| 40 | Indiana | $39,210 | 10,990 |
| 41 | Georgia | $38,970 | 21,440 |
| 42 | Missouri | $38,640 | 11,220 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $38,210 | 7,320 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $37,950 | 13,110 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $37,820 | 9,640 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $37,610 | 8,350 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $36,920 | 4,780 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $36,410 | 7,140 |
| 49 | Alabama | $35,830 | 9,260 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $34,720 | 3,410 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $33,140 | 4,010 |
The top-to-bottom spread is $19,160 — a 58 percent premium for working in Washington versus Mississippi. Cost-of-living adjustments narrow the gap but do not close it: Washington’s real wage remains higher than Mississippi’s after rent and groceries. California employs the most medical assistants of any state (108,210), reflecting both population and the state’s dense outpatient care network. [1]
Pay by work setting
| Setting | Annual mean | Share of jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Outpatient care centers | $44,500 | 9% |
| Hospitals (state, local, private) | $44,200 | 15% |
| Specialty physicians’ offices | $43,100 | 22% |
| Primary care physicians’ offices | $41,700 | 35% |
| Chiropractors’ offices | $37,200 | 2% |
| Other health practitioners | $39,900 | 17% |
Outpatient care centers and hospitals pay roughly $2,500–$2,800 more per year than the dominant primary-care setting. The pay premium reflects higher patient volume, more complex cases, and the need for evening/weekend coverage. A medical assistant with two years of primary-care experience can usually move to a hospital urgent-care or surgery-center role and add $2,000–$4,000 to base pay without further schooling. [1]
Pay by medical specialty
Within physicians’ offices, the specialty pays a meaningful premium. Data below is from AAMA compensation surveys cross-referenced with Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) benchmarks.
| Specialty | Typical range | Premium vs primary care |
|---|---|---|
| Dermatology | $44,000–$50,000 | +$3,000–$5,000 |
| Cardiology | $43,500–$49,500 | +$2,500–$4,500 |
| Orthopedics | $43,000–$48,500 | +$2,000–$4,000 |
| Oncology | $42,500–$47,500 | +$1,500–$3,500 |
| OB/GYN | $41,800–$46,500 | +$1,000–$2,500 |
| Pediatrics | $40,500–$44,500 | baseline |
| Family practice | $40,000–$44,000 | baseline |
Dermatology and cardiology top the list because the role carries more clinical responsibility — injections, biopsy assists, EKG interpretation — which commands higher pay. Medical assistants with a phlebotomy or EKG add-on credential are strong candidates for these specialty moves. [3]
Pay by experience and credential
| Career stage | Typical annual pay |
|---|---|
| Entry-level, no credential | $33,000–$37,000 |
| Entry-level, CCMA or RMA certified | $36,000–$41,000 |
| 2–5 years, certified | $41,000–$47,000 |
| 5+ years, certified, specialty | $46,000–$54,000 |
| Lead medical assistant / clinical supervisor | $50,000–$62,000 |
Credential premium is real but smaller than often advertised. AAMA’s 2023 salary survey reported CMA (AAMA) holders earning a mean of $43,400 versus $40,800 for uncertified peers — a 6.4 percent premium. NHA’s 2024 report for the CCMA showed similar spread (roughly 7–10 percent). The credential is most valuable at hire, where many employers filter for it; it matters less after three years of experience, when the employment history carries most of the weight. [2][3]
Net pay calculator (Python)
Gross salary is only part of the picture — federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare take a meaningful bite. The calculator below estimates take-home pay for a single filer with the standard deduction, using 2026 brackets. State rates are approximated as a flat percentage for simplicity; actual state tax calculations vary by bracket and deductions.
#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Estimate net annual pay for a medical assistant.
Single filer, standard deduction, 2026 federal brackets.
State tax approximated as flat effective rate.
"""
# Approximate effective state income tax rates (single filer, MA salary range)
# Source: state revenue departments, 2025 data
STATE_TAX = {
"WA": 0.00, "TX": 0.00, "FL": 0.00, "NV": 0.00, "TN": 0.00,
"SD": 0.00, "AK": 0.00, "WY": 0.00, "NH": 0.00, # no wage income tax
"CA": 0.055, "NY": 0.055, "OR": 0.080, "HI": 0.068,
"MA": 0.050, "MD": 0.045, "IL": 0.0495, "NJ": 0.045,
"MN": 0.068, "CT": 0.050, "PA": 0.0307, "OH": 0.035,
"MI": 0.0425, "GA": 0.0549, "NC": 0.0450, "VA": 0.0525,
"AZ": 0.0250, "CO": 0.0440, "MS": 0.044, "AL": 0.050,
"LA": 0.0425, "WV": 0.0482, "AR": 0.044, "KY": 0.045,
"SC": 0.064, "OK": 0.0475, "NM": 0.049, "IA": 0.044,
"KS": 0.057, "MO": 0.0495, "IN": 0.0305, "WI": 0.0535,
"UT": 0.0455, "ID": 0.058, "MT": 0.059, "ND": 0.021,
"NE": 0.0484, "ME": 0.0715, "VT": 0.066, "RI": 0.047,
"DE": 0.055, "DC": 0.065,
}
# 2026 federal brackets for a single filer (projected, 3% inflation)
FEDERAL_BRACKETS = [
(12_100, 0.10),
(49_300, 0.12),
(105_200, 0.22),
(201_000, 0.24),
]
STANDARD_DEDUCTION = 15_400
SS_RATE = 0.062 # capped at $174,900 wage base
MEDI_RATE = 0.0145
def federal_tax(taxable):
tax, prev = 0.0, 0.0
for cap, rate in FEDERAL_BRACKETS:
if taxable <= cap:
tax += (taxable - prev) * rate
return tax
tax += (cap - prev) * rate
prev = cap
return tax + (taxable - prev) * 0.32
def net_pay(gross, state):
taxable = max(gross - STANDARD_DEDUCTION, 0)
fed = federal_tax(taxable)
ss = min(gross, 174_900) * SS_RATE
med = gross * MEDI_RATE
state_tax = gross * STATE_TAX.get(state, 0.05)
net = gross - fed - ss - med - state_tax
return {
"gross": gross,
"federal_income_tax": round(fed, 2),
"social_security": round(ss, 2),
"medicare": round(med, 2),
"state_income_tax": round(state_tax, 2),
"net_annual": round(net, 2),
"net_monthly": round(net / 12, 2),
"take_home_pct": round(net / gross * 100, 1),
}
if __name__ == "__main__":
for state, gross in [("WA", 52_300), ("CA", 50_400),
("TX", 41_310), ("FL", 40_740),
("MS", 33_140)]:
result = net_pay(gross, state)
print(f"{state} gross ${gross:,} -> "
f"net ${result['net_annual']:,} "
f"({result['take_home_pct']}% take-home)")Running this against the five sample states shows the take-home picture. A Washington medical assistant keeps about 82 percent of gross (no state income tax), while a California counterpart at nearly the same gross keeps closer to 77 percent after the 5.5 percent effective state rate. Texas and Florida punch above their nominal wages because they have no state income tax. This is why raw “highest-paying state” rankings can be misleading — net of taxes, Washington and Texas close the gap to California almost completely.
How to raise a medical assistant salary
Five concrete moves reliably raise medical assistant earnings, ranked by effect size:
- Relocate to a higher-paying state. Biggest single lever. A move from Mississippi to Washington raises nominal pay by ~$19,000 even before certifications and experience.
- Earn the CCMA or CMA credential. Adds 6–10 percent at hiring. The CCMA (NHA) exam costs $155; CMA (AAMA) requires graduation from a CAAHEP or ABHES-accredited program and costs $125 for members.
- Move from primary care to a specialty practice. Dermatology and cardiology pay $3,000–$5,000 more than family practice for equivalent experience.
- Add an EKG or phlebotomy credential. Each adds $1,000–$2,500, and makes the medical assistant eligible for cardiology and lab-heavy specialties.
- Move to a lead or supervisory role. Typically requires 3–5 years and involves scheduling, training, and quality-metric oversight. Adds $5,000–$10,000.
Job outlook through 2033
BLS projects 15 percent employment growth for medical assistants from 2023 to 2033, adding 114,600 jobs — roughly 114,900 openings per year once turnover is counted. Growth is driven by the aging U.S. population and the continued shift of routine care from hospitals to outpatient settings. Medical assistants are the second-fastest growing healthcare support occupation (behind home health aides) and one of the fastest-growing occupations overall. The projection means graduates of accredited programs in 2026 face a genuinely tight hiring market and can negotiate harder than the BLS median suggests. [4]
Regional supply shortages amplify that leverage in specific markets. The Pacific Northwest, New England, and the mountain West all report multi-quarter vacancy rates above 15 percent for clinical support staff, per MGMA’s 2024 DataDive survey. A newly credentialed medical assistant in one of those regions can typically secure two or three competing offers within 45 days of credentialing, which is the moment to negotiate on base pay, shift differential, and a sign-on bonus. Starting base pay $3,000 above the posted rate is routinely achievable in shortage markets; $5,000 sign-on bonuses tied to a two-year commitment are offered by most large health systems in the top-vacancy states. [5]
Frequently asked questions
Related reading
- How to Become a Medical Assistant
- Pharmacy Technician Training Online
- Medical Billing and Coding Classes Online
- High-Paying Jobs Without a Degree
- Online Master’s in Psychology
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: Medical Assistants (29-2074), May 2024. bls.gov/oes/current/oes292074.htm
- American Association of Medical Assistants. 2023 Compensation and Benefits Report. aama-ntl.org
- National Healthcareer Association. 2024 Industry Outlook: CCMA Wage Data. nhanow.com
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Medical Assistants. bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm
- Medical Group Management Association. 2024 Clinical Staff Compensation Benchmark. mgma.com
- Internal Revenue Service. Revenue Procedure 2025-32: 2026 Inflation Adjustments. irs.gov