A national median is a useful anchor, but medical assistant pay really depends on where you are. The same role can pay noticeably more or less from one state to the next, mostly because of local cost of living and demand. This page puts the official state figures in one place so you can look up your own state instead of guessing from a single national number.
Medical assistant salary by every state
The table below shows the latest official BLS figures for each state and the District of Columbia. Search for your state, or sort by any column to compare. Median pay is usually the better number to focus on, since it is not pulled upward by a small number of very high earners.
51 of 51 states · BLS OEWS, May 2025
| Alabama | $17.35 | $36,100 | $17.68 | $36,770 | 13,300 |
| Alaska | $25.27 | $52,560 | $27.23 | $56,630 | 2,140 |
| Arizona | $22.09 | $45,940 | $22.02 | $45,790 | 21,460 |
| Arkansas | $18.15 | $37,760 | $18.71 | $38,930 | 5,150 |
| California | $23.88 | $49,660 | $26.49 | $55,100 | 117,060 |
| Colorado | $23.27 | $48,400 | $23.80 | $49,490 | 13,160 |
| Connecticut | $22.81 | $47,430 | $23.37 | $48,610 | 10,250 |
| Delaware | $21.39 | $44,490 | $21.30 | $44,300 | 2,880 |
| District of Columbia | $24.54 | $51,050 | $26.39 | $54,890 | 2,260 |
| Florida | $21.00 | $43,680 | $20.81 | $43,290 | 66,110 |
| Georgia | $20.00 | $41,600 | $20.48 | $42,590 | 28,780 |
| Hawaii | $23.28 | $48,410 | $23.91 | $49,730 | 3,890 |
| Idaho | $21.49 | $44,700 | $21.27 | $44,240 | 5,250 |
| Illinois | $22.16 | $46,090 | $22.01 | $45,770 | 20,260 |
| Indiana | $21.69 | $45,110 | $21.39 | $44,500 | 19,630 |
| Iowa | $21.87 | $45,480 | $21.60 | $44,930 | 5,990 |
| Kansas | $19.00 | $39,510 | $19.95 | $41,490 | 5,510 |
| Kentucky | $18.88 | $39,270 | $19.68 | $40,940 | 13,440 |
| Louisiana | $17.46 | $36,320 | $17.40 | $36,180 | 12,310 |
| Maine | $22.88 | $47,580 | $23.56 | $49,000 | 4,480 |
| Maryland | $22.31 | $46,410 | $22.31 | $46,390 | 16,390 |
| Massachusetts | $23.78 | $49,460 | $24.93 | $51,850 | 14,880 |
| Michigan | $19.17 | $39,870 | $19.98 | $41,550 | 27,810 |
| Minnesota | $24.27 | $50,480 | $24.84 | $51,660 | 10,580 |
| Mississippi | $17.00 | $35,360 | $17.42 | $36,240 | 3,340 |
| Missouri | $19.44 | $40,440 | $20.21 | $42,030 | 13,050 |
| Montana | $22.51 | $46,820 | $22.39 | $46,570 | 2,460 |
| Nebraska | $22.78 | $47,370 | $23.10 | $48,040 | 2,380 |
| Nevada | $21.73 | $45,200 | $21.24 | $44,170 | 7,760 |
| New Hampshire | $23.09 | $48,020 | $23.74 | $49,390 | 3,000 |
| New Jersey | $22.70 | $47,210 | $22.79 | $47,400 | 20,330 |
| New Mexico | $18.86 | $39,230 | $19.95 | $41,490 | 5,400 |
| New York | $23.08 | $48,000 | $23.44 | $48,750 | 40,710 |
| North Carolina | $21.70 | $45,140 | $21.20 | $44,090 | 23,650 |
| North Dakota | $22.11 | $45,980 | $22.53 | $46,870 | 600 |
| Ohio | $20.58 | $42,810 | $20.49 | $42,610 | 28,950 |
| Oklahoma | $18.63 | $38,750 | $19.41 | $40,370 | 10,510 |
| Oregon | $24.24 | $50,410 | $25.19 | $52,400 | 11,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $21.12 | $43,920 | $20.92 | $43,500 | 23,050 |
| Rhode Island | $22.69 | $47,190 | $22.86 | $47,550 | 3,210 |
| South Carolina | $19.79 | $41,160 | $20.36 | $42,340 | 12,110 |
| South Dakota | $20.13 | $41,870 | $20.28 | $42,170 | 1,340 |
| Tennessee | $19.02 | $39,570 | $19.94 | $41,480 | 19,180 |
| Texas | $19.00 | $39,520 | $19.83 | $41,240 | 75,340 |
| Utah | $21.81 | $45,360 | $21.52 | $44,760 | 9,990 |
| Vermont | $22.71 | $47,250 | $23.22 | $48,300 | 1,140 |
| Virginia | $21.51 | $44,740 | $21.18 | $44,050 | 16,650 |
| Washington | $28.50 | $59,290 | $28.17 | $58,590 | 19,500 |
| West Virginia | $17.87 | $37,180 | $18.31 | $38,090 | 4,540 |
| Wisconsin | $23.41 | $48,680 | $23.69 | $49,280 | 13,810 |
| Wyoming | $19.67 | $40,920 | $20.52 | $42,680 | 1,040 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025estimates, medical assistants (SOC 31-9092), all industries. “Employed” is the number of people employed in the occupation, not job openings. Annual figures are full-time-equivalent estimates (about 2,080 hours a year). Includes the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
For the national picture and a full breakdown of pay from lower to higher earners, see our main medical assistant salary guide.
How to read this table
A few habits keep you from misreading a real number:
- Median is the midpoint, not your expected pay. Half of medical assistants in a state earn more than the median and half earn less. Where you land depends on the factors below.
- Match the geography to yourself. A statewide figure blends big metros and rural areas. Your own city or metro can differ from the state number, so also look up local data where you can.
- Hourly versus annual. Most medical assistant roles are paid hourly. The annual figures here are full-time-equivalent estimates, roughly the hourly wage times about 2,080 hours a year. If you work part-time or variable hours, your annual earnings will differ.
- Employment is not openings. The "employed" column is how many people work in the occupation in that state, not how many jobs are currently open.
Why pay varies so much between states
State differences are not random. The main drivers are:
- Cost of living. Higher-cost states tend to have higher wages, but that higher pay often just keeps pace with higher rent and expenses, so a bigger number is not automatically more money in your pocket.
- Demand and the local job market. Where medical assistants are in higher demand, pay tends to follow.
- Employer and setting mix. States differ in how much of the work sits in hospitals, large health systems, or private practices, and those settings pay differently.
- Experience levels. A statewide figure reflects the mix of newer and more experienced workers in that state.
Because of all this, weigh any state figure against local cost of living rather than chasing the biggest number. Our salary guide covers what moves pay within a state in more detail.
What this data does not tell you
This is wage data, and only wage data. It is worth being clear about what it does not cover:
- It is not a personal salary quote. These are occupation-wide estimates, not a figure for a specific job, employer, or person.
- It is not job-opening or hiring data. For current demand, read local job postings.
- It is not scope-of-practice or certification rules. How much a state pays is a separate question from what a medical assistant is allowed to do there or what credentials employers expect. For those, see our scope of practice guide and certification guide.
- It does not factor in cost of living. A high median in an expensive state can go less far than a lower median in a cheaper one.
What to read next
- Medical assistant salary, the national picture and what moves pay
- Medical assistant jobs, where the roles are and how to read a posting
- How to become a medical assistant, the full path into the field
- Scope of practice, what medical assistants can and cannot do, which varies by state