Medical Assistant Salary by State (May 2025 BLS Data)
By The College Match Editorial Team · Data: May 2025 · Updated October 2026
Medical assistants earn a median of $45,690 a year nationally, but pay depends heavily on location: from $35,360 in Mississippi to $59,290 in Washington.
Medical assistants handle clinical and office tasks in doctors' offices and clinics, from taking vital signs to scheduling. The table below covers all 50 states and Washington, DC, using the latest wage survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
U.S. median
$45,690
Highest: Washington
$59,290
Lowest: Mississippi
$35,360
Employed in the U.S.
817,870
Medical Assistant pay in every state
Sorted by median annual wage. "Typical range" is the 10th to 90th percentile: 80% of medical assistants in the state earn within it.
| Rank | State | Median | Average | Typical range | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $59,290 | $58,590 | $46,540 – $74,200 | 19,500 |
| 2 | Alaska | $52,560 | $56,630 | $46,060 – $65,040 | 2,140 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $51,050 | $54,890 | $39,620 – $76,900 | 2,260 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $50,480 | $51,660 | $40,110 – $60,100 | 10,580 |
| 5 | Oregon | $50,410 | $52,400 | $43,760 – $62,160 | 11,840 |
| 6 | California | $49,660 | $55,100 | $39,290 – $77,300 | 117,060 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $49,460 | $51,850 | $43,280 – $61,870 | 14,880 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $48,680 | $49,280 | $39,480 – $57,990 | 13,810 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $48,410 | $49,730 | $38,580 – $60,030 | 3,890 |
| 10 | Colorado | $48,400 | $49,490 | $39,130 – $59,760 | 13,160 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $48,020 | $49,390 | $39,640 – $60,100 | 3,000 |
| 12 | New York | $48,000 | $48,750 | $37,280 – $59,480 | 40,710 |
| 13 | Maine | $47,580 | $49,000 | $40,220 – $59,220 | 4,480 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $47,430 | $48,610 | $38,480 – $59,530 | 10,250 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $47,370 | $48,040 | $37,940 – $59,450 | 2,380 |
| 16 | Vermont | $47,250 | $48,300 | $40,570 – $58,420 | 1,140 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $47,210 | $47,400 | $37,010 – $58,070 | 20,330 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $47,190 | $47,550 | $39,280 – $56,840 | 3,210 |
| 19 | Montana | $46,820 | $46,570 | $38,670 – $56,770 | 2,460 |
| 20 | Maryland | $46,410 | $46,390 | $36,930 – $57,250 | 16,390 |
| 21 | Illinois | $46,090 | $45,770 | $36,400 – $56,590 | 20,260 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $45,980 | $46,870 | $37,650 – $58,230 | 600 |
| 23 | Arizona | $45,940 | $45,790 | $38,100 – $51,310 | 21,460 |
| 24 | Iowa | $45,480 | $44,930 | $36,730 – $54,960 | 5,990 |
| 25 | Utah | $45,360 | $44,760 | $35,890 – $56,260 | 9,990 |
| 26 | Nevada | $45,200 | $44,170 | $37,400 – $55,120 | 7,760 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $45,140 | $44,090 | $36,010 – $50,850 | 23,650 |
| 28 | Indiana | $45,110 | $44,500 | $37,060 – $50,480 | 19,630 |
| 29 | Virginia | $44,740 | $44,050 | $37,090 – $52,000 | 16,650 |
| 30 | Idaho | $44,700 | $44,240 | $35,500 – $56,740 | 5,250 |
| 31 | Delaware | $44,490 | $44,300 | $36,540 – $57,280 | 2,880 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $43,920 | $43,500 | $36,810 – $48,500 | 23,050 |
| 33 | Florida | $43,680 | $43,290 | $35,880 – $49,040 | 66,110 |
| 34 | Ohio | $42,810 | $42,610 | $36,050 – $48,560 | 28,950 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $41,870 | $42,170 | $35,980 – $48,960 | 1,340 |
| 36 | Georgia | $41,600 | $42,590 | $34,270 – $51,430 | 28,780 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $41,160 | $42,340 | $34,730 – $49,110 | 12,110 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $40,920 | $42,680 | $31,200 – $51,840 | 1,040 |
| 39 | Missouri | $40,440 | $42,030 | $35,810 – $48,360 | 13,050 |
| 40 | Michigan | $39,870 | $41,550 | $35,000 – $48,330 | 27,810 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $39,570 | $41,480 | $34,840 – $48,540 | 19,180 |
| 42 | Texas | $39,520 | $41,240 | $31,200 – $49,260 | 75,340 |
| 43 | Kansas | $39,510 | $41,490 | $35,140 – $48,300 | 5,510 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $39,270 | $40,940 | $32,950 – $47,940 | 13,440 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $39,230 | $41,490 | $34,600 – $47,850 | 5,400 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $38,750 | $40,370 | $31,880 – $47,640 | 10,510 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $37,760 | $38,930 | $30,840 – $46,060 | 5,150 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $37,180 | $38,090 | $30,890 – $45,350 | 4,540 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $36,320 | $36,180 | $28,970 – $44,460 | 12,310 |
| 50 | Alabama | $36,100 | $36,770 | $29,630 – $45,040 | 13,300 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $35,360 | $36,240 | $29,210 – $45,070 | 3,340 |
| United States | $45,690 | $46,120 | $36,050 – $59,310 | 817,870 |
Common questions
How much do medical assistants make in the U.S.?
The national median annual wage for medical assistants was $45,690 in May 2025, with an average of $46,120. The middle 80% earned between $36,050 and $59,310.
Which state pays medical assistants the most?
Washington has the highest median wage at $59,290 a year. Of the 51 areas (states plus DC) with published figures, 23 pay above the national median.
Which state pays medical assistants the least?
Mississippi has the lowest median wage at $35,360 a year. Lower pay often comes with a lower cost of living, so compare against local living costs.
Which state employs the most medical assistants?
California employs the most, about 117,060.
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Find My MatchAbout this data
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, occupation code 31-9092. Figures are annual wages for employed medical assistants and exclude the self-employed. Some states' figures are not published by BLS and show as n/a. See our editorial standards for how we build these pages.