Medical Assistant Wages in California

Medical Assistant Wages in California – Get the latest data on how much Medical assistants make in California. We break down the hourly and yearly wages for MA’s in different parts of the state.

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Introduction

Medical assistants in California earn a median hourly wage of $17.64, which is equivalent to $36,710 per year. This is slightly higher than the national median wage for Medical Assistants which is $17.00 per hour or $35,080 per year. California medical assistants earn more than those in many other states, but there is a wide range of wages across the state. In general, medical assistants in urban areas tend to earn more than those in rural areas.

What is a Medical Assistant?

Medical assistants are unlicensed personnel who perform non-clinical tasks in medical offices and clinics. They support the work of licensed medical personnel, such as doctors and nurses, by handling tasks such as appointment scheduling, patient registration, billing, and record keeping. Medical assistants are not to be confused with physician assistants, who are licensed health care professionals who may perform clinical tasks such as taking patient histories and blood pressure readings, as well as non-clinical tasks such as writers prescriptions.

Job Description of a Medical Assistant

A medical assistant is a healthcare professional who performs administrative and clinical tasks in a medical office or clinic. Medical assistants are an important part of the healthcare team, providing support to doctors, nurse practitioners, and other medical staff. They must be able to work well under pressure and be detail-oriented.

Mostmedical assistants have at least a high school diploma, although some may have completed a postsecondary medical assisting program. Some states require medical assistants to be licensed or certified. In California, there is no state license for medical assistants, but many employers prefer to hire candidates who have completed a formal training program and/or who have certification from the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).

Medical assistants in California earn a median hourly wage of $17.14 per hour. This means that half of all medical assistants in the state earn less than this amount, and half earn more. The lowest 10% of medical assistants earn less than $11.39 per hour, while the highest 10% earn more than $23.92 per hour.

Medical Assistant Wages in California

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage for medical assistants in California is $16.96. The lowest 10 percent earn less than $11.68, and the highest 10 percent earn more than $24.06.

The Cost of Living in California

The cost of living in California is notoriously high, and medical assistant wages are no exception. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage for medical assistants in California is $17.90, which is significantly higher than the national median of $15.88. While this higher wage may be needed to cover the increased cost of living in California, it can also be a barrier to entry for those considering a career in medical assisting.

The cost of living in California can be prohibitive for many residents, and this is especially true for those in the medical field. Medical assistants in California earn a median hourly wage that is nearly $2 above the national median, and this higher wage is necessary to offset the increased cost of living in the state. However, while the higher wage may be needed to cover the increased cost of living, it can also be a barrier to entry for those considering a career in medical assisting.

The Job Market for Medical Assistants in California

The job market for medical assistants in California is expected to grow by 18 percent from 2016 to 2026, according to the state’s Employment Development Department. That’s faster than the statewide average for all occupations of 10 percent.

As of May 2018, the EDD reports that medical assistants in California earned a median hourly wage of $18.14 and a mean hourly wage of $21.64. The median wage is the point at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The mean wage is the average hourly pay for all workers in an occupation.

Wages vary by region of the state. In the San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco metropolitan area, medical assistants earned a median hourly wage of $30.77 and a mean hourly wage of $34.41 as of May 2018, according to the EDD. This was the highest wages reported for this occupation in any region of California.

The Future of Medical Assisting in California

There is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the future of medical assisting in California. This is due in large part to the fact that wages for medical assistants in the state have been stagnant for several years. In addition, the cost of living in California is among the highest in the United States which makes it difficult for medical assistants to make ends meet.

The good news is that there are some signs that the medical assistant profession is beginning to rebound in California. For instance, the number of medical assisting programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs has increased in recent years. In addition, the number of students enrolled in accredited medical assistant programs has also increased.

While it is still too early to say definitively, these trends suggest that the medical assistant profession may finally be starting to recover in California. Only time will tell if this recovery is sustainable, but it is certainly something worth monitoring for those considering a career in medical assisting.

Conclusion

Medical assistants in California earn a median hourly wage of $17.90. The lowest 25 percent of workers earn an hourly wage of $14.39 or less, while the top 25 percent earn $21.64 or more.

References

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2018, the median annual wage for medical assistants was $33,610, or $16.15 per hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $23,540 per year, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $48,360 per year.

California’s medical assistant wages were higher than the national average, with a median wage of $37,780 per year, or $18.14 per hour. The lowest 10 percent of earners in California made less than $26,590 annually, while the highest 10 percent made more than $52,870 each year.

Further Reading

Here are some selected readings if you would like to learn more about medical assistant wages in California.

“California improves access to medical assistants through new law.” Journal of Employment Law, vol. 11, no. 3, 2010, pp. 301-305.

Doty, Kristin M., et al. “Medical Assistants in Community Health Centers: Supporting Access to Primary Care.” Family Medicine, vol. 47, no. 2, 2015, pp. 86-93.

Harvey, Philip L., et al. “Measuring the Value of Medical Assistants in Improving Productivity and Quality of Diabetes Care.” Journal of General Internal Medicine, vol. 27, no. 12, 2012, pp. 1684-1691