Medical Assistant salary

The median pay for a medical assistant nationally is $19.50 an hour — about $40,560 a year full time. That is based on 12 job postings on LocalWork from the last 12 months that stated pay, so it reflects what employers are advertising rather than verified earnings. Half of the roles pay more than this and half pay less, so treat it as the middle of the market rather than a target.

Most medical assistants nationally earn between $18.10 an hour and $23.35 an hour — that is the 10th to the 90th percentile. The spread usually reflects experience, shift, certifications and employer size more than anything else.

Pay at the bottom of the range — roughly what someone starting out can expect — is around $18.10 an hour. A quarter of medical assistants earn below $19.00 an hour, so the first year or two typically sits in that band.

The top 10% of medical assistants nationally earn about $23.35 an hour or more, roughly 1.2× the median. Getting there usually means experience plus something specific — certifications, supervisory duties, specialised skills or premium shifts.

Medical assistants combine clinical and administrative work in outpatient clinics and physician practices — taking vitals one moment, handling scheduling and records the next. Day to day, that means take patient histories and vital signs, prepare patients and rooms for examination, draw blood and administer injections where permitted and schedule appointments and manage records.

The usual route is: (1) complete a medical assisting programme, (2) sit a certification exam (CMA, RMA or NCMA), (3) start in a clinic or physician practice, (4) specialise or move into practice management. Employers typically look for postsecondary certificate or diploma (about 9–12 months), CMA or RMA certification preferred by many employers and CPR certification.

Usually not. Most employers hire medical assistants without a specific licence, though postsecondary certificate or diploma (about 9–12 months) will widen your options and often your pay.

There are currently 13 open medical assistants listed on LocalWork. Outpatient care continues to expand relative to hospital care, which keeps medical assistant demand growing steadily.