Medical Assistant Salary by State (2026): MA / CMA Pay Compared Across All 50 States

Medical assistant salary by state varies more than for most outpatient healthcare-support occupations. The national median for Medical Assistants sits at $47,961, but state-by-state pay across the 52 states tracked here ranges widely — from $37,773 in Mississippi to $61,148 in Washington. That spread reflects state-level cost of living, state minimum-wage laws, state scope-of-practice rules for MAs (injection authority, point-of-care testing scope, limited radiography), the regional density of specialty practices versus primary care, and the local mix of urgent care chains and retail clinic networks.

This page compares the average medical assistant salary by state across 1686+ metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas — drawing on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for SOC 31-9092. If you're a working MA evaluating relocation, a new MA graduate planning your first office job, or a multi-specialty practice manager benchmarking pay across states, the state-level comparison below is the central reference point.

How MA Salary by State Is Measured

The BLS reports state-level MA salary through three numbers:

• Annual median (50th percentile) — used to rank state-level pay in the table below.
• Annual mean (average) — typically runs 3–5% above median; states with strong dermatology, plastics, orthopedic, and aesthetic specialty practice show wider mean-median spreads.
• Percentile distribution (P10 / P25 / P75 / P90) — P10 reflects entry-level uncertified MAs at primary care; P90 reflects senior CMA-credentialed MAs in dermatology, plastics, fertility, ortho specialty, plus lead/clinical-coordinator MAs at large health systems and EMR super-users.

The state-comparison table below applies BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) adjustment so both nominal pay and real purchasing power are visible.

1. State Cost of Living and Minimum-Wage Laws

State minimum-wage laws are a major driver of state-level MA pay because entry-level MA hourly rates anchor near state minimums. States with high minimum wage anchor higher state MA pay:

• High-minimum-wage states — California, Washington, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Oregon, Colorado, and others maintain state minimums of $15–$18+/hour. These states lead state-level MA pay rankings.
• Federal-minimum-wage states — states without state minimum above the federal $7.25 anchor the bottom of state MA pay.
• Cost-of-living adjustment — high-minimum-wage states are also high-cost states; BEA RPP adjustment narrows the real-purchasing-power gap, but high-COL states still lead in real-dollar pay.

2. State MA Scope-of-Practice Rules

State MA scope-of-practice rules — defined by state medical boards and nurse practice acts — shape what MAs can legally do under physician delegation and meaningfully affect MA pay distribution:

• Injection authority — every state lets MAs administer subcutaneous and intramuscular injections under physician delegation, but rules around IV access, IV-push medications, and IM-narcotic administration differ. Broader injection scope correlates with stronger MA market rates.
• Point-of-care testing and limited EKG / spirometry — most states allow MAs to perform CLIA-waived testing, EKGs, and spirometry. A smaller set of states permit MA-administered allergy testing or moderate-complexity testing under direct physician supervision.
• Limited radiography authority (LXMO / LMRT) — Washington (LXMO — Limited X-Ray Machine Operator), California (LMRT — Limited Permit X-Ray Technician), Oregon, and a few other states allow MAs to perform limited radiography under specific licensure. This expands MA scope at orthopedic and urgent-care employers and supports state-level pay differentials.
• State MA-specific licensure / registration — some states (Washington — registered MA, Oklahoma — registered MA) require state-level registration on top of national certification. State barriers correlate with higher state-level MA pay floors.
• Cosmetic injectables prep authority — states with broader MA scope around aesthetic injection prep and laser-treatment assistance support specialty pay differentials at derm and plastic-surgery practices.

3. State Demand-Supply Dynamics for MAs

State-level MA pay reflects the demand-supply balance:

• State health-system penetration — states with dense Fortune-500-level health system concentration (California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia) drive MA hiring through large health-system primary-care and specialty office expansion.
• State urgent-care chain density — Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio have rapidly expanding urgent-care chain markets (MedExpress, GoHealth, AFC, NextCare, FastMed, CareNow, MinuteClinic, Walgreens HealthHub, CVS MinuteClinic). These markets drive MA hiring and pay.
• State retail clinic concentration — CVS MinuteClinic, Walgreens HealthHub, Walmart Health, and Costco Health Solutions have varying state distribution. Heavy retail-clinic concentration supports MA pay in those states.
• State specialty practice density — dermatology, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, fertility, and OB/GYN specialty practice concentration (California, Texas, Florida, New York, Arizona, North Carolina) supports upper-percentile MA pay because specialty practices pay $2–$5/hour premiums over primary care.
• State HPSA concentration — rural shortage states with NHSC primary-care loan-repayment programs support MA hiring at FQHCs and rural health clinics.

4. National MA Certifications and State-Level Pay Distribution

Four major national certifications affect MA pay, and certification distribution by state shapes state pay rankings:

• CMA (AAMA) — Certified Medical Assistant from the American Association of Medical Assistants. Only credential tied to CAAHEP or ABHES program completion. Most widely required at major health systems.
• RMA — Registered Medical Assistant from American Medical Technologists.
• CCMA — Certified Clinical Medical Assistant from National Healthcareer Association.
• NCMA — National Certified Medical Assistant from National Center for Competency Testing.

States with strong CAAHEP/ABHES-accredited MA program density (California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio) show higher CMA-credentialed MA distribution and consequently higher state-level pay because CMA-credentialed MAs reliably earn premiums.

How to Compare MA Salary by State Effectively

When comparing the average medical assistant salary by state, work through this checklist:

• Compare nominal and real (cost-adjusted) pay together — a state with the highest nominal median can have lower real purchasing power if its cost of living is higher.
• Check state income tax — MAs in Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska, and New Hampshire keep more of every dollar.
• Verify state minimum-wage floor — state minimum wage is the single largest driver of entry-level MA pay.
• Verify state MA scope (limited radiography, expanded injection, state MA registration) — broader-scope states support stronger MA pay premiums.
• Compare percentile distribution, not just median — a state with a high median but compressed range may pay less to senior specialty MAs than a state with a moderate median and strong P90 senior pay.
• Factor in specialty practice density — if you specialize (or plan to) in dermatology, plastics, orthopedics, fertility, or aesthetic services, target states with strong corresponding specialty practice concentration.

2026 State-Level MA Salary Outlook

MA pay has grown at a compound annual rate of 4.97% nationally over the past five years — driven by the rapid expansion of urgent-care chains, retail clinics, and corporate primary-care models (One Medical, VillageMD, ChenMed, Oak Street Health) plus persistent specialty practice hiring competition. States with rapid urgent-care and retail-clinic expansion (Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arizona, Pennsylvania), states with high specialty-practice density driving CMA premium pay (California, New York, Florida), and states with state-level MA-scope expansion (Washington — LXMO, California — LMRT) are seeing the fastest state-level MA pay growth through 2026. The BLS projects Medical Assistants employment growth at 15% through 2033 — much faster than average — keeping strong upward pressure on state-level wages.

Browse the state-by-state comparison table below to see the $47,961-baseline state ranking, top 10 and bottom 10 states by projected median, regional groupings (Northeast / Midwest / South / West), and direct links to per-state pages for deeper city-level breakdown.