Medical Assistant Salary, Adjusted for Cost of Living
Washington pays medical assistants the most both on paper ($59,290/yr) and after cost of living. But below the top, the ranking reshuffles sharply once a dollar's local value is taken into account.
| # | State | Nominal / yr | Cost of living | Real pay / yr | COL shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $59,290 | 107 | $55,404 | — | |
| Nebraska | $47,370 | 90 | $52,573 | ▲ 13 | |
| Iowa | $45,480 | 88 | $51,822 | ▲ 21 | |
| Wisconsin | $48,680 | 94 | $51,735 | ▲ 4 | |
| North Dakota | $45,980 | 89 | $51,687 | ▲ 17 | |
| Alaska | $52,560 | 102 | $51,349 | ▼ 4 | |
| Minnesota | $50,480 | 99 | $51,186 | ▼ 3 | |
| Montana | $46,820 | 95 | $49,469 | ▲ 11 | |
| Maine | $47,580 | 97 | $49,026 | ▲ 4 | |
| Oregon | $50,410 | 103 | $48,771 | ▼ 5 | |
| Indiana | $45,110 | 93 | $48,334 | ▲ 17 | |
| Vermont | $47,250 | 98 | $48,235 | ▲ 4 | |
| North Carolina | $45,140 | 94 | $47,855 | ▲ 14 | |
| South Dakota | $41,870 | 89 | $47,265 | ▲ 21 | |
| Colorado | $48,400 | 103 | $46,967 | ▼ 5 | |
| Idaho | $44,700 | 96 | $46,809 | ▲ 14 | |
| Massachusetts | $49,460 | 106 | $46,768 | ▼ 10 | |
| District of Columbia | $51,050 | 110 | $46,451 | ▼ 15 | |
| Ohio | $42,810 | 93 | $46,144 | ▲ 15 | |
| Rhode Island | $47,190 | 102 | $46,138 | ▼ 2 | |
| Illinois | $46,090 | 100 | $46,109 | — | |
| New Hampshire | $48,020 | 104 | $46,100 | ▼ 11 | |
| Utah | $45,360 | 99 | $45,881 | ▲ 2 | |
| Connecticut | $47,430 | 104 | $45,777 | ▼ 10 | |
| Arizona | $45,940 | 101 | $45,631 | ▼ 2 | |
| Nevada | $45,200 | 100 | $45,209 | — | |
| Pennsylvania | $43,920 | 98 | $45,013 | ▲ 5 | |
| California | $49,660 | 111 | $44,852 | ▼ 22 | |
| Delaware | $44,490 | 100 | $44,576 | ▲ 2 | |
| Missouri | $40,440 | 91 | $44,529 | ▲ 9 | |
| New York | $48,000 | 108 | $44,477 | ▼ 19 | |
| Virginia | $44,740 | 101 | $44,251 | ▼ 3 | |
| Maryland | $46,410 | 105 | $44,217 | ▼ 13 | |
| Wyoming | $40,920 | 93 | $44,147 | ▲ 4 | |
| Oklahoma | $38,750 | 88 | $44,113 | ▲ 11 | |
| Hawaii | $48,410 | 110 | $44,029 | ▼ 27 | |
| South Carolina | $41,160 | 94 | $43,904 | — | |
| Kansas | $39,510 | 90 | $43,867 | ▲ 5 | |
| Kentucky | $39,270 | 90 | $43,556 | ▲ 5 | |
| Arkansas | $37,760 | 87 | $43,434 | ▲ 7 | |
| New Jersey | $47,210 | 109 | $43,390 | ▼ 24 | |
| Georgia | $41,600 | 96 | $43,201 | ▼ 6 | |
| Tennessee | $39,570 | 92 | $43,072 | ▼ 2 | |
| New Mexico | $39,230 | 92 | $42,543 | ▲ 1 | |
| Florida | $43,680 | 103 | $42,238 | ▼ 12 | |
| West Virginia | $37,180 | 90 | $41,543 | ▲ 2 | |
| Michigan | $39,870 | 96 | $41,438 | ▼ 7 | |
| Louisiana | $36,320 | 88 | $41,176 | ▲ 1 | |
| Texas | $39,520 | 97 | $40,718 | ▼ 7 | |
| Mississippi | $35,360 | 87 | $40,666 | ▲ 1 | |
| Alabama | $36,100 | 89 | $40,643 | ▼ 1 |
How to read this
Nominal pay is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) median wage for medical assistants in each state. Real pay divides that by the state's cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. average = 100), so it reflects what the salary is actually worth locally. A state with high nominal pay but high costs can rank lower on real pay than a cheaper state — that's the COL shift column.
Methodology: nominal medians from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 release); cost of living from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (all items, 2024). Real pay = nominal ÷ (RPP ÷ 100). Cite as “WageAtlas Real Pay Index.”
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