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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Real salary distribution from 288 tracked cities across 46 states. Compare entry-level, median, and senior compensation — then adjust for cost of living.
The national median tells one story. The city-level data tells a dozen. The national median salary for Medical Assistants in 2026 is $44,093, with entry-level positions averaging $28,661 and senior roles reaching $62,612. But those numbers flatten a reality with enormous geographic variation — Sunnyvale pays a median of $80,560, while other markets fall well below the national average. We tracked 288 cities to build the complete picture.
A career as a Medical Assistant sits at the intersection of Healthcare Support and Healthcare Support. Most professionals enter with Postsecondary certificate, and the field is characterized by very high demand. The work itself is clinical. Understanding that context matters: it explains why certain markets pay premiums and others lag.
$49,020 separates the highest and lowest-paying cities. A Medical Assistant in Sunnyvale, California earns a median of $80,560 — $49,020 more than their counterpart in Toledo, Ohio ($31,540). That gap alone is more than many cities' annual rent. That salary-to-cost ratio is genuinely competitive.
The three-tier salary picture for Medical Assistants in 2026: $28,661 at entry (P10), $44,093 at midpoint, and $62,612 at the senior end (P90). Compare this to adjacent occupations, and the value of this career becomes clearer. The $33,951 range from bottom to top isn't just experience — it's geography, specialization, and industry mixed together. The median itself lands $36,274 below the national median household income of $80,367.
Compare the extremes: the highest-paying trio of cities (Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Irvine) averages $75,240, while the lowest-paying trio (Toledo, Detroit, Akron) averages $31,793. The $43,447 difference is the kind of number that reshapes career strategy — assuming the cost of living cooperates.
A Medical Assistant in Sunnyvale, California earns a median of $80,560 — $49,020 more than their counterpart in Toledo, Ohio ($31,540). That gap alone is more than many cities' annual rent.
The 10th-percentile (entry-level) Medical Assistant salary averages $28,661 nationally. That's below the typical median household income, which means early-career earnings depend heavily on location and cost of living.
| Country | Coverage | Entry (P10) | Median | Senior (P90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 288 | $28,661 | $44,093 | $62,612 |
| United Kingdom | 27 | £17,781 | £24,697 | £35,069 |
| Canada | 21 | CA$27,557 | CA$38,274 | CA$54,349 |
| Australia | 13 | A$31,358 | A$43,553 | A$61,845 |
| Sweden | 24 | 187,010 kr | 259,736 kr | 368,825 kr |
| State | Cities | Entry (P10) | Median | Senior (P90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 61 | $34,697 | $53,381 | $75,801 |
| Massachusetts | 4 | $33,530 | $51,585 | $73,251 |
| Hawaii | 1 | $33,345 | $51,300 | $72,846 |
| District of Columbia | 1 | $30,875 | $47,500 | $67,450 |
| New Jersey | 4 | $30,505 | $46,930 | $66,641 |
| Washington | 8 | $29,918 | $46,028 | $65,359 |
| New York | 5 | $28,158 | $43,320 | $61,515 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | $28,158 | $43,320 | $61,514 |
| Florida | 22 | $27,945 | $42,992 | $61,048 |
| Colorado | 11 | $27,462 | $42,249 | $59,994 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | $27,417 | $42,180 | $59,896 |
| Nevada | 5 | $27,368 | $42,104 | $59,788 |
| Arizona | 12 | $27,232 | $41,895 | $59,491 |
| Oregon | 5 | $27,170 | $41,800 | $59,356 |
| Idaho | 3 | $27,088 | $41,673 | $59,176 |
| Connecticut | 5 | $26,874 | $41,344 | $58,708 |
| Utah | 4 | $26,800 | $41,230 | $58,547 |
| Virginia | 7 | $26,358 | $40,551 | $57,583 |
| South Carolina | 3 | $26,017 | $40,027 | $56,838 |
| Alaska | 1 | $25,935 | $39,900 | $56,658 |
| Illinois | 5 | $25,639 | $39,444 | $56,011 |
| North Carolina | 9 | $25,002 | $38,464 | $54,619 |
| New Mexico | 3 | $24,700 | $38,000 | $53,960 |
| Montana | 1 | $24,700 | $38,000 | $53,960 |
| Tennessee | 6 | $24,618 | $37,873 | $53,780 |
| Texas | 40 | $24,496 | $37,687 | $53,515 |
| Minnesota | 2 | $24,453 | $37,620 | $53,421 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | $24,330 | $37,430 | $53,151 |
| Georgia | 6 | $24,247 | $37,303 | $52,971 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 | $24,206 | $37,240 | $52,881 |
| Kansas | 4 | $24,083 | $37,050 | $52,611 |
| Michigan | 6 | $24,000 | $36,923 | $52,431 |
| Kentucky | 2 | $23,712 | $36,480 | $51,802 |
| Maryland | 1 | $23,712 | $36,480 | $51,802 |
| Nebraska | 2 | $23,465 | $36,100 | $51,262 |
| South Dakota | 1 | $23,465 | $36,100 | $51,262 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | $22,848 | $35,150 | $49,913 |
| North Dakota | 1 | $22,724 | $34,960 | $49,643 |
| Louisiana | 4 | $22,415 | $34,485 | $48,969 |
| Missouri | 4 | $22,415 | $34,485 | $48,969 |
| Alabama | 5 | $22,329 | $34,352 | $48,780 |
| Indiana | 3 | $21,983 | $33,820 | $48,024 |
| Arkansas | 1 | $21,983 | $33,820 | $48,024 |
| Iowa | 2 | $21,736 | $33,440 | $47,485 |
| Ohio | 6 | $21,695 | $33,377 | $47,395 |
| Mississippi | 1 | $20,748 | $31,920 | $45,326 |
Geography shapes Medical Assistant pay in predictable and not-so-predictable ways. California tops the state leaderboard at $53,381 median, with 61 cities providing data. Massachusetts and Hawaii follow. On the flip side, Mississippi and Ohio anchor the bottom — reflecting lower local cost structures and smaller metro premiums.
Raw salary rankings and cost-adjusted rankings tell different stories. After adjusting for local costs, Sunnyvale ($38,000 adjusted), Santa Clara ($38,000 adjusted), Irvine ($38,000 adjusted) lead the field. The takeaway: the highest nominal salary doesn't always deliver the best standard of living. In the right market, this is a six-figure career path.
Raw salary divided by the local cost index — this shows where your paycheck buys the most.
| # | City | Nominal Salary | Cost Index | Adjusted Salary | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunnyvale California | $80,560 | 212 | $38,000 | $50,906 |
| 2 | Santa Clara California | $75,240 | 198 | $38,000 | $47,871 |
| 3 | Irvine California | $69,920 | 184 | $38,000 | $44,836 |
| 4 | San Francisco California | $68,780 | 181 | $38,000 | $44,186 |
| 5 | Carlsbad California | $67,640 | 178 | $38,000 | $43,536 |
| 6 | San Jose California | $67,260 | 177 | $38,000 | $43,319 |
| 7 | Fremont California | $67,260 | 177 | $38,000 | $43,319 |
| 8 | Berkeley California | $65,740 | 173 | $38,000 | $42,452 |
| 9 | Costa Mesa California | $65,740 | 173 | $38,000 | $42,452 |
| 10 | Huntington Beach California | $64,220 | 169 | $38,000 | $41,585 |
The $33,951 gap between P10 and P90 represents the earning trajectory of a Medical Assistant career. Senior-level earners make 2.2× what entry-level professionals do — a solid progression that justifies the upfront investment. In the Healthcare Support sector, very high demand, which shapes both starting salaries and long-term ceiling.
The weighted national median salary for Medical Assistants is $44,093 in 2026, based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics across 288 U.S. metro areas. Entry-level (10th percentile) averages $28,661, while experienced professionals at the 90th percentile average $62,612.
The highest-paying city for Medical Assistants is Sunnyvale, California with a median salary of $80,560. The top 3 cities are Sunnyvale ($80,560), Santa Clara ($75,240), Irvine ($69,920). Note: high-paying cities often have higher costs of living — check the cost-adjusted rankings above for purchasing power.
The lowest median Medical Assistant salary in our data is in Toledo, Ohio at $31,540. However, lower-paying cities often have significantly lower costs of living, which can offset the pay gap. Always compare salary data alongside local cost of living.
Entry-level Medical Assistants (10th percentile) average $28,661 nationally. This varies by city — in the highest-paying markets, entry-level pay can be close to $52,364. Experience, certifications, and employer type all influence starting salary.
At the 90th percentile (senior level), Medical Assistants average $62,612 nationally — $33,951 more than entry-level. In top-paying cities, senior Medical Assistants can earn up to $114,395.
The top-paying states for Medical Assistants are California ($53,381 median), Massachusetts ($51,585 median), Hawaii ($51,300 median). State averages are computed across all tracked cities in each state, weighted equally.
The typical education path for a Medical Assistant involves Postsecondary certificate. The field is in the Healthcare Support sector (Healthcare Support), and the career outlook is very high demand. Work style is typically clinical.
With a national median of $44,093 and representation across 288 metro areas, Medical Assistant offers a foundation that can be strengthened by strategic location choices. The $33,951 gap between entry and senior pay shows room for salary growth. Industry outlook: very high demand.
All salary data on this page is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, which surveys employers across U.S. metropolitan areas. We present 10th percentile (entry), 50th percentile (median), and 90th percentile (senior) pay benchmarks. Cost-of-living adjustments use our core database of 288 cities.
Salary data is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, which surveys employers across U.S. metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. We present the 10th percentile (entry-level), 50th percentile (median), and 90th percentile (senior) pay benchmarks.
Cost-of-living adjustments use Livably's core index derived from Zillow rent data, Census income surveys, and regional BLS price data. Take-home pay estimates apply simplified federal brackets, 7.65% FICA, and state income tax rates from the Tax Foundation.
State and national averages are computed as simple means across all tracked cities with data for this occupation. Rankings are updated monthly as new BLS releases become available.