United States · Pay by job · Healthcare Support

Medical Assistant salary and take-home pay

The typical US medical assistant earns $45,690 a year, or $21.97 an hour (BLS, May 2025). In Texas, where the median for this job is $39,520, a single filer keeps about $33,934 a year after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.

BLS title: Medical Assistants (SOC 31-9092). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.

How much does a medical assistant earn?

Medical Assistant pay in the US: the 10th to 90th percentile
Percentile Bar A year An hour
10th $36,050 $17.33
25th $38,470 $18.50
Median $45,690 $21.97
75th $49,180 $23.65
90th $59,310 $28.52

The middle half of people in this job earn $38,470 to $49,180 a year, and about 817,870 people do it across the US (BLS, May 2025).

Take-home pay tool

The 10th percentile is where pay starts for most people in this job; the 90th, near the top.

Medical Assistant · Texas · single · median

$33,934.32 a year after tax

$2,827.86 a month · $1,305.17 a paycheck (every two weeks)

Pay and taxes for the year
Pay before tax$39,520.00
Federal income tax−$2,562.40
Social Security and Medicare−$3,023.28
Texas tax and payroll contributionsnone
Take-home pay$33,934.32

Pay: the median for this job in Texas, $39,520 a year (BLS). One job, standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, the year’s tax spread over 26 paychecks.

What does a medical assistant take home at each pay point?

A single filer on the national figures, paid every two weeks, with nothing taken before tax:

Medical Assistant take-home pay at each percentile, 2026
Pay a yearTexasCaliforniaNew York
10th $36,050 $31,146$30,287$29,610
25th $38,470 $33,091$32,103$31,413
Median $45,690 $38,892$37,522$36,793
75th $49,180 $41,696$40,133$39,394
90th $59,310 $49,836$47,533$46,942

Take-home after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax for 2026. New York is outside New York City.

Where does a medical assistant keep the most after tax?

Our 19 states, ranked by take-home pay on each state’s own median for this job (single filer). Only these 19 states have take-home figures so far.

Medical Assistant: states ranked by take-home pay at the median
RankStateMedian payTake-home
1 Washington $59,290 $48,997
2 Alaska $52,560 $44,149
3 New Hampshire $48,020 $40,764
4 California $49,660 $40,484
5 New Jersey $47,210 $38,664
6 New York $48,000 $38,514
7 Nevada $45,200 $38,498
8 Florida $43,680 $37,277
9 North Carolina $45,140 $37,158
10 Illinois $46,090 $37,077
11 Virginia $44,740 $36,370
12 Pennsylvania $43,920 $36,091
13 Ohio $42,810 $35,844
14 South Dakota $41,870 $35,823
15 Wyoming $40,920 $35,059
16 Georgia $41,600 $34,278
17 Tennessee $39,570 $33,974
18 Texas $39,520 $33,934
19 Michigan $39,870 $32,772

How much does a medical assistant earn in each state?

Medical Assistant median pay and employment in every state and DC (BLS, May 2025)
StateMedian payPeople in the jobTake-home (single)
Alabama $36,100 13,300 not yet
Alaska $52,560 2,140 $44,149 (#2)
Arizona $45,940 21,460 not yet
Arkansas $37,760 5,150 not yet
California $49,660 117,060 $40,484 (#4)
Colorado $48,400 13,160 not yet
Connecticut $47,430 10,250 not yet
Delaware $44,490 2,880 not yet
District of Columbia $51,050 2,260 not yet
Florida $43,680 66,110 $37,277 (#8)
Georgia $41,600 28,780 $34,278 (#16)
Hawaii $48,410 3,890 not yet
Idaho $44,700 5,250 not yet
Illinois $46,090 20,260 $37,077 (#10)
Indiana $45,110 19,630 not yet
Iowa $45,480 5,990 not yet
Kansas $39,510 5,510 not yet
Kentucky $39,270 13,440 not yet
Louisiana $36,320 12,310 not yet
Maine $47,580 4,480 not yet
Maryland $46,410 16,390 not yet
Massachusetts $49,460 14,880 not yet
Michigan $39,870 27,810 $32,772 (#19)
Minnesota $50,480 10,580 not yet
Mississippi $35,360 3,340 not yet
Missouri $40,440 13,050 not yet
Montana $46,820 2,460 not yet
Nebraska $47,370 2,380 not yet
Nevada $45,200 7,760 $38,498 (#7)
New Hampshire $48,020 3,000 $40,764 (#3)
New Jersey $47,210 20,330 $38,664 (#5)
New Mexico $39,230 5,400 not yet
New York $48,000 40,710 $38,514 (#6)
North Carolina $45,140 23,650 $37,158 (#9)
North Dakota $45,980 600 not yet
Ohio $42,810 28,950 $35,844 (#13)
Oklahoma $38,750 10,510 not yet
Oregon $50,410 11,840 not yet
Pennsylvania $43,920 23,050 $36,091 (#12)
Rhode Island $47,190 3,210 not yet
South Carolina $41,160 12,110 not yet
South Dakota $41,870 1,340 $35,823 (#14)
Tennessee $39,570 19,180 $33,974 (#17)
Texas $39,520 75,340 $33,934 (#18)
Utah $45,360 9,990 not yet
Vermont $47,250 1,140 not yet
Virginia $44,740 16,650 $36,370 (#11)
Washington $59,290 19,500 $48,997 (#1)
West Virginia $37,180 4,540 not yet
Wisconsin $48,680 13,810 not yet
Wyoming $40,920 1,040 $35,059 (#15)

Median yearly pay for this job in each state, from BLS. Take-home and its rank are for the 19 states with a take-home engine so far. Each linked state shows its highest-paying jobs after tax.

What is the job outlook for a medical assistant?

BLS expects jobs as a medical assistant to grow 12.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 109,700 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).

Job growth, 2025 to 2035
+12.9%
Openings a year
about 109,700
Usual education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Work experience
None
On-the-job training
None

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What else can I work out?

Where do these figures come from?

Pay is the BLS estimate for all employers in May 2025 (the latest), and the outlook is from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Your own pay depends on your employer, area and experience. Take-home is our estimate for 2026: one job, the standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, from the same engine as our paycheck calculator.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables (BLS); Employment Projections tables (BLS). This site is independent and not part of the BLS.

Questions about medical assistant pay

How much does a medical assistant make an hour?

The median is $21.97 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The middle half earn $18.50 to $23.65, and the top 10% earn $28.52 or more.

Which state pays a medical assistant the most?

Among the 50 states and DC, Washington has the highest median for this job: $59,290 a year (BLS). After tax, of the 19 states we cover, Washington leaves the most: $48,997 a year for a single filer on its median of $59,290.

What is a medical assistant’s take-home pay?

On the national median of $45,690, a single filer keeps about $38,892 a year in Texas (no state income tax), $37,522 in California and $36,793 in New York outside New York City, after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax. Pick your state in the tool above.

What education do you need to be a medical assistant?

BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the usual way in, with no work experience in a related job and no on-the-job training once hired.

Is the number of medical assistant jobs growing?

BLS expects jobs as a medical assistant to grow 12.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 109,700 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).