Medical assistants work in varied healthcare settings, including physician offices, hospitals, outpatient care centers, offices of other types of healthcare practitioners and assisted living facilities. As of May 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that nearly 712,000 medical assistants were employed in the the U.S. The BLS further estimated that, as of May 2019, the national mean wage for medical assistants was $35,720 per year, which compared to a $53,490 annual mean wage for all occupations in the U.S. From state-to-state there was considerable variation in medical assistant mean annual wages, with medical assistants in some regions of the country earning 50% or more than their counterparts elsewhere. Per BLS data of May 2019, the ten states where medical assistants earned the highest annual mean wages were:
| Alaska | $45,630 |
| Washington | $43,760 |
| Massachusetts | $41,780 |
| Minnesota | $41,710 |
| Connecticut | $40,440 |
| California | $40,120 |
| Oregon | $39,790 |
| Hawaii | $39,620 |
| New York | $38,590 |
| Colorado | $37,410 |
Bringing up the rear for medical assistant pay were these ten states:
| South Carolina | $32,470 |
| Oklahoma | $31,610 |
| New Mexico | $31,570 |
| Kansas | $31,450 |
| South Dakota | $31,130 |
| Arkansas | $30,950 |
| Mississippi | $30,690 |
| Louisiana | $30,070 |
| Alabama | $29,220 |
| West Virginia | $28,710 |
So where does your state rank for medical assistant pay?
Refer to Medical Assistant Average Wages by State for additional information.