$ PaycheckDecoded

Medical Assistant Salary

Medical Assistants earn a median $45,690 a year nationally. Healthcare Support Occupations

U.S. median
$45,690
$21.97 per hour
Range
$36,050 – $59,310
10th to 90th percentile
Employed
817,870
across the U.S.

Medical Assistant take-home pay calculator

Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.

Medical Assistant
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$38,892
per year · effective tax rate 14.9%
$3,241Monthly
$1,620Twice a month
$1,496Every 2 weeks
$18.70Hourly
  • Federal income tax$3,303
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,833
  • Medicare (1.45%)$663
  • Texas income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$38,892

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

Pay by experience

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home (no state tax)
10th percentile (entry level)$36,050$17.33$31,146
25th percentile$38,470$18.50$33,091
Median (50th)$45,690$21.97$38,892
75th percentile$49,180$23.64$41,696
90th percentile (top earners)$59,310$28.51$49,836

Best cities for medical assistants (after tax & cost of living)

#Metro areaMedianTake-homeReal value*Jobs
1Vallejo, CA$77,410$59,301$54,6661,360
2Santa Rosa, CA$64,820$51,447$47,7311,550
3Bellingham, WA$57,410$48,309$46,750510
4Seattle, WA$61,500$51,595$46,42710,210
5Sacramento, CA$61,970$49,400$46,3117,410
6Olympia, WA$55,700$46,935$45,273580
7San Jose, CA$61,940$49,378$44,7176,400
8Rochester, MN$49,830$40,353$44,432440
9Bremerton, WA$55,680$46,919$44,428610
10Duluth, MN$47,990$38,991$43,925750
11Yakima, WA$49,310$41,801$43,750710
12Appleton, WI$49,330$40,427$43,743450
13Spokane, WA$51,720$43,737$43,5862,090
14Cedar Rapids, IA$46,480$38,412$43,178510
15Kennewick, WA$50,820$43,014$42,980850
16Omaha, NE$48,010$39,451$42,9231,400
17La Crosse, WI$47,960$39,387$42,919570
18Eau Claire, WI$48,160$39,539$42,608660
19Oshkosh, WI$48,230$39,592$42,604460
20Wausau, WI$47,870$39,318$42,437510
21Lincoln, NE$47,190$38,830$42,399570
22Green Bay, WI$47,910$39,349$42,271800
23Des Moines, IA$46,920$38,749$42,2561,780
24Topeka, KS$46,070$37,426$42,137470
25Milwaukee, WI$49,590$40,625$41,9084,170

*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Highest-paying cities

Medical Assistant salary by state

StateMedianTake-homeRangeJobs
Washington $59,290$49,820 $46,540 – $74,20019,500
Alaska $52,560$44,412 $46,060 – $65,0402,140
District of Columbia $51,050$41,302 $39,620 – $76,9002,260
Minnesota $50,480$40,831 $40,110 – $60,10010,580
Oregon $50,410$39,103 $43,760 – $62,16011,840
California $49,660$40,407 $39,290 – $77,300117,060
Massachusetts $49,460$39,668 $43,280 – $61,87014,880
Wisconsin $48,680$39,933 $39,480 – $57,99013,810
Hawaii $48,410$38,908 $38,580 – $60,0303,890
Colorado $48,400$39,648 $39,130 – $59,76013,160
New Hampshire $48,020$40,764 $39,640 – $60,1003,000
New York $48,000$38,753 $37,280 – $59,48040,710
Maine $47,580$38,381 $40,220 – $59,2204,480
Connecticut $47,430$39,081 $38,480 – $59,53010,250
Nebraska $47,370$38,966 $37,940 – $59,4502,380
Vermont $47,250$38,996 $40,570 – $58,4201,140
New Jersey $47,210$39,053 $37,010 – $58,07020,330
Rhode Island $47,190$38,944 $39,280 – $56,8403,210
Montana $46,820$38,356 $38,670 – $56,7702,460
Maryland $46,410$37,630 $36,930 – $57,25016,390
Illinois $46,090$37,077 $36,400 – $56,59020,260
North Dakota $45,980$39,125 $37,650 – $58,230600
Arizona $45,940$38,153 $38,100 – $51,31021,460
Iowa $45,480$37,647 $36,730 – $54,9605,990
Utah $45,360$37,552 $35,890 – $56,2609,990
Nevada $45,200$38,498 $37,400 – $55,1207,760
North Carolina $45,140$37,158 $36,010 – $50,85023,650
Indiana $45,110$37,125 $37,060 – $50,48019,630
Virginia $44,740$36,370 $37,090 – $52,00016,650
Idaho $44,700$36,836 $35,500 – $56,7405,250
Delaware $44,490$36,135 $36,540 – $57,2802,880
Pennsylvania $43,920$36,121 $36,810 – $48,50023,050
Florida $43,680$37,277 $35,880 – $49,04066,110
Ohio $42,810$36,183 $36,050 – $48,56028,950
South Dakota $41,870$35,823 $35,980 – $48,9601,340
Georgia $41,600$34,069 $34,270 – $51,43028,780
South Carolina $41,160$33,940 $34,730 – $49,11012,110
Wyoming $40,920$35,059 $31,200 – $51,8401,040
Missouri $40,440$33,710 $35,810 – $48,36013,050
Michigan $39,870$32,772 $35,000 – $48,33027,810
Tennessee $39,570$33,974 $34,840 – $48,54019,180
Texas $39,520$33,934 $31,200 – $49,26075,340
Kansas $39,510$32,521 $35,140 – $48,3005,510
Kentucky $39,270$32,477 $32,950 – $47,94013,440
New Mexico $39,230$32,982 $34,600 – $47,8505,400
Oklahoma $38,750$32,117 $31,880 – $47,64010,510
Arkansas $37,760$31,260 $30,840 – $46,0605,150
West Virginia $37,180$31,049 $30,890 – $45,3504,540
Louisiana $36,320$30,660 $28,970 – $44,46012,310
Alabama $36,100$29,646 $29,630 – $45,04013,300
Mississippi $35,360$29,909 $29,210 – $45,0703,340

Frequently asked questions

How much does a medical assistant make?

The national median salary for medical assistants is $45,690 a year ($21.97 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $36,050 and the top 10% earn over $59,310. Source: BLS, May 2025.

Which state pays medical assistants the most?

Washington has the highest median pay at $59,290. After taxes and local prices, Vallejo, CA offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.

How many medical assistants are there in the U.S.?

About 817,870 people work as medical assistants nationwide.

All 246 cities