Best Cities for Medical Assistantss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where medical assistantss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	WashingtonState	1.21	$59,290	$55,256	38%
2	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.18	$61,500	$53,806	43%
3	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.16	$52,570	$52,834	34%
4	WisconsinState	1.15	$48,680	$52,741	27%
5	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.14	$56,240	$52,171	38%
6	MinnesotaState	1.13	$50,480	$51,510	30%
7	NebraskaState	1.13	$47,370	$51,770	26%
8	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.13	$61,940	$51,531	61%
9	IowaState	1.12	$45,480	$50,987	25%
10	AlaskaState	1.10	$52,560	$50,393	31%
11	IndianaState	1.09	$45,110	$49,845	28%
12	North DakotaState	1.09	$45,980	$49,654	26%
13	OregonState	1.07	$50,410	$48,942	38%
14	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.07	$45,300	$48,815	34%
15	MontanaState	1.06	$46,820	$48,568	29%
16	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.06	$46,520	$48,559	39%
17	North CarolinaState	1.05	$45,140	$47,818	35%
18	IllinoisState	1.04	$46,090	$47,320	34%
19	MaineState	1.04	$47,580	$47,675	33%
20	OhioState	1.04	$42,810	$47,356	29%
21	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.04	$46,060	$47,583	42%
22	Rhode IslandState	1.03	$47,190	$46,955	38%
23	Columbus, OHMetro	1.03	$44,140	$47,209	35%
24	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.02	$44,620	$46,383	42%
25	ColoradoState	1.01	$48,400	$45,920	46%
26	IdahoState	1.01	$44,700	$46,321	32%
27	South DakotaState	1.01	$41,870	$46,112	27%
28	VermontState	1.01	$47,250	$46,098	36%
29	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.01	$42,840	$46,314	33%
30	ArizonaState	1.00	$45,940	$45,530	39%
31	MassachusettsState	1.00	$49,460	$45,585	55%
32	MissouriState	1.00	$40,440	$45,643	31%
33	NevadaState	0.99	$45,200	$45,110	39%
34	New HampshireState	0.99	$48,020	$45,302	40%
35	PennsylvaniaState	0.99	$43,920	$45,278	35%
36	UtahState	0.99	$45,360	$45,269	39%
37	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.99	$44,480	$45,157	46%
38	CaliforniaState	0.98	$49,660	$44,860	55%
39	District of ColumbiaState	0.98	$51,050	$44,663	49%
40	South CarolinaState	0.98	$41,160	$44,739	37%
41	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.98	$50,740	$44,705	60%
42	GeorgiaState	0.97	$41,600	$44,540	41%
43	KentuckyState	0.97	$39,270	$44,373	29%
44	West VirginiaState	0.97	$37,180	$44,157	27%
45	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.97	$46,790	$44,225	43%
46	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.97	$43,100	$44,342	44%
47	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.97	$45,890	$44,338	42%
48	ArkansasState	0.96	$37,760	$43,754	28%
49	ConnecticutState	0.96	$47,430	$44,080	40%
50	DelawareState	0.96	$44,490	$44,050	37%
51	HawaiiState	0.96	$48,410	$44,009	59%
52	KansasState	0.96	$39,510	$43,900	31%
53	OklahomaState	0.96	$38,750	$43,785	30%
54	WyomingState	0.96	$40,920	$44,000	29%
55	MichiganState	0.95	$39,870	$43,196	34%
56	New JerseyState	0.95	$47,210	$43,392	46%
57	TennesseeState	0.95	$39,570	$43,246	38%
58	VirginiaState	0.95	$44,740	$43,227	42%
59	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	0.95	$39,410	$43,213	37%
60	FloridaState	0.94	$43,680	$43,034	47%
61	MarylandState	0.93	$46,410	$42,500	43%
62	New MexicoState	0.93	$39,230	$42,641	32%
63	New YorkState	0.93	$48,000	$42,667	46%
64	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.93	$39,180	$42,587	40%
65	AlabamaState	0.91	$36,100	$41,447	32%
66	MississippiState	0.91	$35,360	$41,698	30%
67	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.91	$44,930	$41,410	54%
68	TexasState	0.90	$39,520	$41,339	42%
69	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.90	$47,760	$40,996	57%
70	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.90	$46,640	$41,348	51%
71	LouisianaState	0.88	$36,320	$40,311	35%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).