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 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that about 763,000 medical assistants were employed in the U.S. The BLS further estimated that, as of May 2023, the national mean wage for medical assistants was $43,350 per year. 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 annual mean wage data of May 2023, the ten best and worst states for medical assistant pay were the following:
The Best and Worst States for Medical Assistant Pay
| Best Paying States | |
| Washington | $53,780 |
| Alaska | $52,530 |
| California | $50,900 |
| District of Columbia | $50,110 |
| Minnesota | $49,740 |
| Oregon | $49,390 |
| Massachusetts | $48,570 |
| Hawaii | $47,840 |
| New York | $47,350 |
| Connecticut | $46,630 |
| Worst Paying States | |
| Tennessee | $38,860 |
| South Carolina | $38,520 |
| South Dakota | $37,760 |
| Oklahoma | $37,480 |
| Kentucky | $37,090 |
| Arkansas | $35,560 |
| West Virginia | $34,660 |
| Mississippi | $34,630 |
| Alabama | $34,160 |
| Louisiana | $33,610 |
(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on June 1, 2024
