Medical Assistant Salary: How Much Can You Make in This Field?
Aspiring medical assistants often wonder about their earning potential in this rewarding profession.
This comprehensive guide will take you through everything you need to know about medical assistant salaries, including hourly rates, average salaries, factors that affect pay, and more.
Hourly Rates for Medical Assistants
The national average medical assistant salary is $18.36 per hour.
However, you might be wondering how a medical assistant’s hourly wage is affected by their location, specialty, and experience. In this section we will cover how much medical assistants earn per hour based on the state they work in, the specialty they work in, and how much experience they have.
By state
Below we will provide you with the average hourly wage medical assistants earn in each state, in alphabetical order:
- Alabama – $14.40
- Alaska – $22.30
- Arizona – $18.17
- Arkansas – $15.16
- California – $21.53
- Colorado – $18.77
- Connecticut – $19.75
- Delaware – $16.71
- Florida – $17.06
- Georgia – $17.05
- Hawaii – $19.49
- Idaho – $17.67
- Illinois – $17.88
- Indiana – $16.73
- Iowa – $18.11
- Kansas – $15.40
- Kentucky – $16.04
- Louisiana – $14.96
- Maine – $18.74
- Maryland – $18.50
- Massachusetts – $21.25
- Michigan – $16.75
- Minnesota – $20.72
- Mississippi – $14.69
- Missouri – $16.13
- Montana – $17.78
- Nebraska – $17.21
- Nevada – $17.29
- New Hampshire – $18.68
- New Jersey – $18.23
- New Mexico – $16.57
- New York – $20.24
- North Carolina – $16.61
- North Dakota – $18.45
- Ohio – $16.48
- Oklahoma – $15.28
- Oregon – $20.05
- Pennsylvania – $16.67
- Rhode Island – $18.94
- South Carolina – $15.87
- South Dakota – $15.34
- Tennessee – $16.34
- Texas – $16.66
- Utah – $16.91
- Vermont – $17.88
- Virginia – $17.66
- Washington – $22.75
- Washington D.C. – $22.45
- West Virginia – $14.34
- Wisconsin – $18.65
- Wyoming – $17.14
By medical assistant profession
- Podiatry medical assistant – $32.46
- Ophthalmic medical assistant – $24.96
- Clinical medical assistants – $22
- Fertility medical assistant – $19.23
- Cardiology medical assistant – $17.98
- Dermatology medical assistant – $18
By experience
- Less than 1 year: $15
- 1 to 2 years: $18.12
- 3 to 5 years: $19.24
- 6 to 9 years: $20.32
- More than 10 years: $21.26
Average Salaries for Medical Assistants
The national average medical assistant salary is $38,190 per year, but, just like in the section above, you are likely interested to know how a medical assistant’s yearly average salary is affected by their location, specialty, and experience.
By state
- Alabama – $29,950
- Alaska – $46,390
- Arizona – $37,790
- Arkansas – $31,530
- California – $44,780
- Colorado – $39,040
- Connecticut – $41,070
- Delaware – $34,750
- Florida – $35,480
- Georgia – $35,470
- Hawaii – $40,350
- Idaho – $36,760
- Illinois – $37,190
- Indiana – $34,790
- Iowa – $37,660
- Kansas – $32,030
- Kentucky – $33,360
- Louisiana – $31,110
- Maine – $38,990
- Maryland – $38,480
- Massachusetts – $44,200
- Michigan – $34,830
- Minnesota – $43,090
- Mississippi – $30,550
- Missouri – $33,540
- Montana – $36,980
- Nebraska – $35,810
- Nevada – $35,970
- New Hampshire – $38,860
- New Jersey – $37,920
- New Mexico – $34,470
- New York – $42,100
- North Carolina – $34,450
- North Dakota – $38,380
- Ohio – $34,270
- Oklahoma – $31,790
- Oregon – $41,700
- Pennsylvania – $34,670
- Rhode Island – $39,390
- South Carolina – $33,010
- South Dakota – $31,910
- Tennessee – $33,990
- Texas – $34,660
- Utah – $35,170
- Vermont – $37,190
- Virginia – $36,730
- Washington – $47,320
- Washington D.C. – $46,690
- West Virginia – $29,820
- Wisconsin – $38,800
- Wyoming – $35,660
By medical assistant profession
- Podiatry medical assistant – $62,453
- Ophthalmic medical assistant – $48,023
- Clinical medical assistants – $42,328
- Fertility medical assistant – $36,998
- Cardiology medical assistant – $34,593
- Dermatology medical assistant – $34,632
By experience
- Less than 1 year: $31,162
- 1 to 2 years: $41,930
- 3 to 5 years: $44,508
- 6 to 9 years: $47,019
- More than 10 years: $49,192
Related FAQs
How much does a medical assistant make annually?
Medical assistants earn an average annual salary of $38,190, although, the actual amount a medical assistant will earn depends on multiple factors that we will discuss later on.
What is the average salary for medical assistants in Texas?
On average, medical assistants in Texas earn $34,660 per year and $16.66 per hour.
What is the salary range for medical assistants in Florida?
On average, medical assistants in Florida earn $35,480 per year and $17.06 per hour.
Factors Affecting Medical Assistant Salaries
Level of education and training
There are many different certification and training options for medical assisting, but, it is important to note that you technically only need a high school diploma to practice as a medical assistant in the majority of states.
Despite this, it will be much harder to find medical assistant jobs if you aren’t a certified medical assistant. Certified medical assistants also tend to earn more than those who aren’t certified because they are better qualified and don’t need as much on-the-job training.
Certified medical assistants can specialize further and earn even more. There are several medical assistant specialties to choose from that offer better salaries. However, some of these specialties will require you to get a further certification if you want to practice.
Years of experience
Like in many other industries, employers pay medical assistants with more experience better. This is often because the more experience a medical assistant has, the better they will understand the role and its responsibilities.
They may also develop specialized skills throughout their careers that allow them to perform more tasks and duties, which will enable them to earn more.
Industry and work setting
A medical assistant’s specific industry and work setting can have quite a large impact on how much they earn. For example, a podiatry medical assistant will earn more than a chiropractic medical assistant.
This is because medical assistants that work for podiatrists often have to complete certain clinical duties that require extra certification.
Geographic location
Location also affects how much medical assistants earn; this is for a few reasons. Firstly, it is because different areas have different costs of living, so employers in these areas need to offer higher salaries to ensure their employees can afford to live.
Areas where there is a high demand for healthcare also have higher-paying medical assistant jobs to attract candidates to the region.
Type of employer
The type of healthcare facility you are employed by is another factor that will affect how much you can earn as a medical assistant. Medical assistants working at outpatient care centers, and medical and surgical hospitals earn the most on average.
However, as we have noted above, medical assistants working for podiatrists and ophthalmologists tend to earn the most.
Advancing Your Career as a Medical Assistant
If you want to advance in your career as a medical assistant, improve your job satisfaction and earn a better salary, it is important to continue your education and get more certifications. Specialized certifications will allow you to perform more clinical or administrative duties, which can help you earn more, and become more established in your profession.
With enough training and experience, you can eventually expect to be offered promotions and leadership positions.
Related FAQs
What is the starting salary for a medical assistant?
Medical assistants with less than a year of experience earn around $31,162 per year on average.
How much does a medical assistant with 10 years of experience make?
A medical assistant with ten or more years of experience will earn around $49,192 per year.
What certifications can medical assistants get to increase their salary?
There are two main certifications that medical assistants can obtain if they want to earn higher salaries. The certified ophthalmic assistant (COA) certification and the podiatric medical assistant certified (PMAC) certification.
These certifications allow you to work as a medical assistant for either an ophthalmologist or a podiatrist.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you now know that on average, medical assistants earn $38,190 per year and $18.36 per hour. However, neither of these figures are guaranteed, and the actual amount you will earn will depend on your education, training, experience, location, the industry you work in, and the type of employer you work for.
As we have noted above, though, it is possible to both advance your career and increase your salary by seeking further education and training.
Sources
- https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Medical-Assistant-Dermatology-Salary
- https://www.salary.com/research/salary/posting/cardiology-medical-assistant-salary
- https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes319092.htm#st
- https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Entry-Level-Medical-Assistant-Salary
- https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/certified-clinical-medical-assistant-salary-SRCH_KO0,36.htm