Medical Assistant Salary

Bureau of Labor Statistics title: Medical Assistants

The median medical assistant salary in the United States is $45,690 per year ($21.97/hour). Salaries range from $36,050 at the entry level to $59,310+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 817,870 medical assistant jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 12.5% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Also known asMedical AssistantCMA
Median Salary
$45,690
per year
Hourly Rate
$21.97
per hour
Employment
817,870
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$36,050
25th percentile
$38,470
Median
$45,690
75th percentile
$49,180
90th percentile
$59,310

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+12.5%
Faster than average

Annual Openings

112,300
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Postsecondary nondegree award

Medical Assistant Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for medical assistants.

Medical assistants (MAs) work in physician offices, clinics, and outpatient centers doing both clinical (vitals, injections, EKGs, phlebotomy) and administrative (scheduling, billing, insurance verification) tasks. Certification (CMA/RMA) increasingly required by larger practices and unlocks 10-20% higher pay. Career expands into specialty clinics (dermatology, cardiology, ortho pay best) or moves toward LPN/RN with additional schooling. Employers screen for: clinical accuracy (a wrong dose or vital), professionalism with patients, and EMR fluency (Epic, Cerner, athenahealth).

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Vital signs + rooming patients
Blood pressure, pulse, temperature, respiration, height/weight, pain score. Accurate documentation into EMR.
Phlebotomy + injections
Blood draws, IM/subcutaneous injections, sometimes IV placement. Patient comfort + technique matter.
EKG + point-of-care testing
12-lead EKG placement, glucose finger sticks, urine dips, strep tests. Understand what's normal vs flag for MD review.
EMR fluency (Epic, Cerner, athena)
Documentation, orders, refills, prior auths. MAs who can't navigate the EMR slow down the whole clinic.
Insurance + scheduling
Verifying insurance, obtaining prior auths, scheduling referrals. Front-office skills as important as clinical in some practices.
Patient communication + de-escalation
Explaining prep for tests, handling anxious patients, managing complaints.

How to Become a Medical Assistant

  1. 1
    Complete an MA program
    9-24 month diploma/certificate at community college or trade school. Includes clinical externship.
  2. 2
    Get certified (CMA or RMA)
    CMA via AAMA (requires graduation from CAAHEP/ABHES program). RMA via AMT (broader eligibility). Both add ~10-20% pay.
  3. 3
    Start in primary care or urgent care
    Entry-friendly, wide scope. Rotates you through everything.
  4. 4
    Move to specialty for higher pay
    Dermatology, cardiology, ortho, plastics pay 15-30% more than primary care.
  5. 5
    Consider LPN or RN
    MA β†’ LPN (12-18 months) β†’ RN (2-4 years) triples earning ceiling. Many practices offer tuition assistance.

Career Progression

Medical Assistant (Entry)
0-2 yrs$36k-$48k
  • β€’Room patients, take vitals
  • β€’Assist provider during visits
  • β€’Basic front-office tasks
Next: Lead MA or specialty MA.
Lead / Senior MA
2-5 yrs$44k-$58k
  • β€’Complex procedures (injections, EKGs)
  • β€’Train new MAs
  • β€’Own inventory or scheduling
Next: Specialty MA or LPN.
Specialty MA (Derm, Cardio, Ortho)
3+ yrs$48k-$68k
  • β€’Procedure-specific skills (suture setup, biopsy assist, stress test)
  • β€’Higher-margin patient interactions
Next: Practice supervisor or LPN school.
Clinic Supervisor / Office Manager
5+ yrs$55k-$80k
  • β€’Manage 6-15 MAs and front-office
  • β€’Own operations metrics for clinic
  • β€’Interface with billing, HR, providers

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 12 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through rooming a patient.technical
Greet by name, verify identity (name + DOB). Escort to room. Take vitals β€” BP, pulse, temp, respiration, weight, height, pain. Review medication list β€” reconcile with what patient is actually taking. Ask about allergies and any changes. Document reason for visit in their words. Post pertinent notes for the provider. Screening for: systematic workflow.
Q2. A patient's BP is 195/110 and they're asymptomatic. What do you do?situational
Recheck manually to confirm. Ensure proper cuff size and technique. If confirmed: notify the provider IMMEDIATELY, don't wait for the standard workflow. Hypertensive urgency requires provider evaluation. Document the reading with time and both readings if you rechecked. Never dismiss abnormal vitals.
Q3. Tell me about a difficult patient interaction.behavioral
STAR. Real patient, real difficulty (anxiety, anger, non-compliance, language barrier). What you did, how you resolved. Never speak disparagingly. Screening for: patience + professionalism.
Q4. Why do you want to work at our practice?behavioral
Research. Concrete: 'Your practice's focus on [specialty] matches where I want to build my skills,' or 'the community reviews about your providers suggest a practice that respects staff.' Not: 'I need a job.'
Q5. How do you handle a mistake?behavioral
Own it immediately. If clinical: notify provider first, then patient if appropriate, then document factually. Never hide or blame. Follow the practice's incident reporting process. Screening for: integrity in a safety-critical role.

Resume Template β€” Medical Assistant (0-2 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Medical Assistant (0-2 yrs)
  • β–ΈRoomed 25-35 patients per day across 4-provider primary care practice with 98% same-day documentation compliance.
  • β–ΈCertified Medical Assistant (CMA-AAMA) within 60 days of graduation.
  • β–ΈCompleted 320+ phlebotomy draws with 96% first-stick success rate.
  • β–ΈEMR-proficient in Epic; served as super-user for 3 new hires during onboarding.

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—No CMA/RMA certification at larger practices.
  • βœ—Attendance issues.
  • βœ—Speaking about patients disparagingly.
  • βœ—Poor EMR skills β€” new hires who can't navigate the system slow the whole clinic.
  • βœ—Not knowing HIPAA basics.

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“CMA or RMA certification β€” 10-20% premium.
  • βœ“Bilingual, especially Spanish β€” pay differential at most practices.
  • βœ“EMR-specific experience (Epic-certified) β€” valued at large systems.
  • βœ“Specialty experience (derm, ortho, cardio).
  • βœ“Willingness to float across clinics.
  • βœ“Phlebotomy + IV certification.

Medical Assistant Resume Review β€” $29

Personalized resume review from someone who has hired medical assistants. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.

  • βœ“ Occupation-specific critique (not generic)
  • βœ“ Rewrite suggestions for weak bullets
  • βœ“ Missing skills / keywords flagged
  • βœ“ Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
  • βœ“ 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it

Medical Assistant Career Kit β€” $19

  • βœ“ All 12 interview questions with expert answers
  • βœ“ 10 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
  • βœ“ Interview format intel for 5 top employers
  • βœ“ 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
  • βœ“ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
  • βœ“ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
  • βœ“ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
  • βœ“ Detailed salary negotiation script
  • βœ“ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
  • βœ“ Downloadable PDF for offline access
  • βœ“ Instant access, no expiration, no subscription
βœ“ 7-day money-back guarantee β€” no questions asked

One-time purchase. 7-day refund guarantee.

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Medical Assistant Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$35K
$59Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

Washington
$59K
+30%
Alaska
$53K
+15%
District of Columbia
$51K
+12%
Minnesota
$50K
+10%
Oregon
$50K
+10%
California
$50K
+9%
Massachusetts
$49K
+8%
Wisconsin
$49K
+7%
Hawaii
$48K
+6%
Colorado
$48K
+6%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
Washington$59,290+29.8%
Alaska$52,560+15.0%
District of Columbia$51,050+11.7%
Minnesota$50,480+10.5%
Oregon$50,410+10.3%
California$49,660+8.7%
Massachusetts$49,460+8.3%
Wisconsin$48,680+6.5%
Hawaii$48,410+6.0%
Colorado$48,400+5.9%
1–10 of 51

Medical Assistant Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
Vallejo, CA$77,410+69.4%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$64,820+41.9%
Napa, CA$62,050+35.8%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$61,970+35.6%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$61,940+35.6%
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$61,870+35.4%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$61,500+34.6%
Longview-Kelso, WA$61,480+34.6%
Ponce, PR$59,990+31.3%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$59,790+30.9%
1–10 of 392
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A medical assistant earning $45,690/year would need 1305 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 1401 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries β†’
πŸ“ˆ See how medical assistant salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Medical Assistant salary trend (2011–2024) β†’