Medical Assistant Hourly Pay, Skills & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 22,021 US job postings by 3,031 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for medical assistants: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 22,021 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for medical assistants in US job postings is $23.00 an hour (4,325 postings from 692 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $21.00 to $26.00 an hour.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $23.77 an hour (1,947 postings).
- The skills that most set medical assistant postings apart are phlebotomy, medical terminology, ekgs.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 1 year of experience.
Medical Assistant job postings in the US, October 2026
- $23.00/hr
- Median advertised pay (4,325 postings)
- $21.00–$26.00
- Middle 50% of postings
- $23.77/hr
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 22,021
- US job postings from 3,031 employers
How much does a medical assistant make an hour?
The median advertised pay is $23.00 an hour, from 4,325 US job postings by 692 employers that state pay. That is about $48,000 a year at 2,080 hours.
Advertised pay in 4,325 US medical assistant job postings: median $48,000 a year ($23.00 an hour), middle half $44,000 to $54,000.
- Median: $48,000 ($23.00/hr)
- 25th percentile: $44,000
- 75th percentile: $54,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $20K–$30K | 0.4% |
| $30K–$40K | 12.6% |
| $40K–$50K | 47.3% |
| $50K–$60K | 30.0% |
| $60K–$70K | 7.4% |
| $70K–$80K | 1.6% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $23.00 | $21.00–$26.00 | 2,779 |
| All pay postings, annualised | $48,000 | $44K–$54K | 4,325 |
For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median annual wage of Medical Assistants (31-9092) at $46,000 (May 2025). Postings advertise pay; the BLS measures what people earn, across all employers and levels.
What is the starting salary for a medical assistant?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $23.77 an hour (1,947 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $23.77/hr | 1,947 |
| 2-4 years | $23.56/hr | 500 |
| 5+ years | withheld | 71 |
Medical assistant levels and pay
Levels as they appear in job titles, ordered by the median experience asked.
| Level in title | Share of postings | Median experience asked | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| No level in title | 93.2% | 1 year | $23.00/hr |
| Level I | 2.1% | 1 year | – |
| Level II | 3.0% | 2 years | $25.87/hr |
Highest-paying medical assistant jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistant I | $24.93/hr | 347 | 54 |
| Medical Assistant - Pediatrics | $24.18/hr | 261 | 59 |
| Certified Medical Assistant | $24.00/hr | 732 | 163 |
| Medical Assistant (general) | $22.81/hr | 2,603 | 532 |
Medical assistant pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $26.87/hr | $25.22–$28.77 | 104 | 3.2% |
| California | $25.00/hr | $22.00–$28.09 | 268 | 7.9% |
| Massachusetts | $24.12/hr | $22.50–$25.25 | 128 | 2.0% |
| Colorado | $24.00/hr | $21.50–$26.00 | 101 | 1.8% |
| New York | $22.57/hr | $21.50–$26.67 | 376 | 5.6% |
| Illinois | $22.43/hr | $21.88–$24.01 | 178 | 4.2% |
| Florida | $21.50/hr | $19.75–$22.46 | 315 | 9.2% |
| North Carolina | $21.00/hr | $15.00–$26.85 | 132 | 4.6% |
| New Jersey | $21.00/hr | $19.21–$22.49 | 153 | 3.5% |
Skills employers ask for in medical assistant job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 33% |
| Customer service | 20% |
| Interpersonal skills | 18% |
| Organizational skills | 17% |
| Phlebotomy | 16% |
| Attention to detail | 15% |
| Medical terminology | 12% |
| Hipaa | 10% |
| Ekgs | 8% |
| Microsoft Office | 8% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set medical assistants apart
- Phlebotomy50.3× as often as in all postings · 16%
- Medical terminology21.8× as often as in all postings · 12%
- Ekgs54.8× as often as in all postings · 8%
- Ekg54.4× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Hipaa10.4× as often as in all postings · 10%
- Venipuncture28.8× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Patient confidentiality20.1× as often as in all postings · 5%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a medical assistant job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a medical assistant do?
Employers post these jobs as Certified Medical Assistant, Clinical Assistant, Medical Assistant II, Medical Assistant I, Lead Medical Assistant and other titles. The largest specializations are Certified Medical Assistant (18%), Medical Assistant - Pediatrics (6%), Medical Assistant I (7%), Clinical Assistant (2%), Lead Medical Assistant (1%), Ophthalmic Technician (under 1%).
The closest official occupation is Medical Assistants (31-9092.00). Its most important tasks:
- Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
- Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.
- Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.
- Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients.
- Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be a medical assistant?
Among 4,295 postings that state a minimum, the median is 1 year. 3% say 0 years and 72% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 4,295 US medical assistant job postings: median 1 year, and 72% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 9% |
| 1 yr | 63% |
| 2 yrs | 21% |
| 3-4 yrs | 6% |
| 5-7 yrs | 2% |
| 8-9 yrs | under 1% |
| 10+ yrs | under 1% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 89%, Part-time 11% of the 2,179 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a medical assistant: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Medical Assistant | 2,155 (71.1%) |
| Certified Medical Assistant | 577 (19.0%) |
| Clinical Assistant | 109 (3.6%) |
| Medical Assistant II | 96 (3.2%) |
| Medical Assistant I | 85 (2.8%) |
| Lead Medical Assistant | 74 (2.4%) |
| Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) | 45 (1.5%) |
| Bilingual Medical Assistant | 45 (1.5%) |
| Medical Assistant (MA) | 44 (1.5%) |
| Float Medical Assistant | 31 (1.0%) |
| PRN Medical Assistant | 29 (1.0%) |
| Pediatric Medical Assistant | 26 (0.9%) |
| Medical Assistants | 24 (0.8%) |
| Medical Assistant III | 24 (0.8%) |
| Medical Assistant PRN | 22 (0.7%) |
| Medical Assistant Float | 22 (0.7%) |
| Senior Medical Assistant | 21 (0.7%) |
| Clinic Assistant | 20 (0.7%) |
| Medical Assistant Certified | 19 (0.6%) |
| Future Opening: Medical Assistant | 18 (0.6%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Medical assistant job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certified Medical Assistant | 3,000 | 577 | $23.76/hr | 1 year | communication, customer service, phlebotomy |
Medical Assistant vs Certified Medical Assistant
| Medical Assistant | Certified Medical Assistant | |
|---|---|---|
| Open US postings | 12,960 | 3,000 |
| Employers | 2,155 | 577 |
| Median advertised pay | $23.00/hr | $23.76/hr |
| Median experience asked | 1 year | 1 year |
| Skills that stand out | – | – |
Medical Assistant compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistant | $23.00/hr | 1 year | 22,021 | – |
| Patient Care Technician | $22.05/hr | 1 year | 8,483 | 17 |
| Phlebotomist | $22.50/hr | 1 year | 8,028 | 19 |
| Clinical Research Coordinator | $79K | 2 years | 2,593 | 17 |
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | $37.86/hr | 1 year | 6,314 | 16 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Patient Care Technician | 17 | $22.05/hr |
| Phlebotomist | 19 | $22.50/hr |
| Clinical Research Coordinator | 17 | $79K |
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | 16 | $37.86/hr |
| Emergency Medical Technician | 14 | $26.00/hr |
| Patient Services Representative | 18 | $21.50/hr |
Applying for medical assistant jobs?
- Medical assistant resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find medical assistant jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
How much does a medical assistant make an hour?
What is the starting salary for a medical assistant?
What are the highest-paying medical assistant jobs?
How much does a Certified Medical Assistant make?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 20 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 20 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.