The average salary for a medical assistant in California is around $49,660 per year.
Avg Salary
Medical assistants earn an average yearly salary of $49,660.
Wages typically start from $39,290 and go up to $77,300.
32% below national average Updated in 2025
Medical assistant earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level medical assistant earnings begin at:
$37.16 per hour
$77,300 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level medical assistant earnings begin at:
$29.75 per hour
$61,870 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level medical assistant earnings begin at:
$23.88 per hour
$49,660 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level medical assistant earnings begin at:
$22.23 per hour
$46,240 per year
10th percentile
Starting level medical assistant earnings begin at:
$18.89 per hour
$39,290 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Medical assistant salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $59,290 |
| Alaska | $52,560 |
| District of Columbia | $51,050 |
| Minnesota | $50,480 |
| Oregon | $50,410 |
| California | $49,660 |
| Massachusetts | $49,460 |
| Wisconsin | $48,680 |
| Hawaii | $48,410 |
| Colorado | $48,400 |
| New Hampshire | $48,020 |
| New York | $48,000 |
| Maine | $47,580 |
| Connecticut | $47,430 |
| Nebraska | $47,370 |
| Vermont | $47,250 |
| New Jersey | $47,210 |
| Rhode Island | $47,190 |
| Montana | $46,820 |
| Maryland | $46,410 |
| Illinois | $46,090 |
| North Dakota | $45,980 |
| Arizona | $45,940 |
| Iowa | $45,480 |
| Utah | $45,360 |
| Nevada | $45,200 |
| North Carolina | $45,140 |
| Indiana | $45,110 |
| Virginia | $44,740 |
| Idaho | $44,700 |
| Delaware | $44,490 |
| Pennsylvania | $43,920 |
| Florida | $43,680 |
| Ohio | $42,810 |
| South Dakota | $41,870 |
| Georgia | $41,600 |
| South Carolina | $41,160 |
| Wyoming | $40,920 |
| Missouri | $40,440 |
| Michigan | $39,870 |
| Tennessee | $39,570 |
| Texas | $39,520 |
| Kansas | $39,510 |
| Kentucky | $39,270 |
| New Mexico | $39,230 |
| Oklahoma | $38,750 |
| Arkansas | $37,760 |
| West Virginia | $37,180 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $37,020 |
| Louisiana | $36,320 |
| Alabama | $36,100 |
| Mississippi | $35,360 |
| Guam | $24,130 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,980 |
How do medical assistant salaries compare to similar careers?
Medical assistants earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than pharmacy technicians but more than medical transcriptionists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy technician salary | $55K |
| Medical appliance technician salary | $52K |
| Phlebotomist salary | $56K |
| Medical administrative assistant salary | $54K |
| Endoscopy technician salary | $49K |
| Medical assistant salary | $50K |
| Dental assistant salary | $50K |
| Orderly salary | $50K |
| Psychiatric aide salary | $48K |
| Medical transcriptionist salary | $45K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)