The average medical assistant salary in California is $43,300 as of 2021.
Medical assistants in California earn an average of $43,300 per year. The highest-paid medical assistants make $64,350 annually, while the lowest-paid make $30,150.
The top-paying regions for medical assistants in California are:
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (mean annual pay: $63,570)
San Francisco (mean annual pay: $61,710)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (mean annual pay: $56,960)
The top paying industries for medical assistants in California are:
Offices of Physicians (mean annual pay: $52,500)
Home Health Care Services ($51,460)
Healthcare and Social Assistance (mean annual pay: $51,440)
Medical Assistant Salary In California 2021
How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in California?
Wondering how much do certified medical assistants make in California? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 29 May 2020, medical assistants in California earned $42,990 per annum and $20.67 per hour, which was more than the national average income of these professionals. In the United States, the average annual and hourly salary of medical assistants was $36,930 and $17.75, respectively (according to the BLS, as of May 29, 2020).
| Resource | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS | $20.67 | $42,990 | 29 May 2020 |
| Indeed | $16.11 | $33,509 | 29 Feb 2020 |
| Glassdoor | $15.15 | $31,508 | 6 Feb 2020 |
| Salary.com | $39,839 | $19 | 20 Jan 2020 |
| PayScale | $15.01 | $33,238 | 19 Feb 2020 |
The above table showcases the annual and hourly salaries of medical assistants in California according to various sources. Certified medical assistant salary in California was higher than non-certified professionals.
Average Medical Assistant Salaries in California
According to indeed.com, as of 16 May 2020, the average per hour salary of certified medical assistants in California was $16.58, which was 9% higher than the national average.
The mean hourly and annual salary of medical assistants in CA, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (as of May 2019) was $19.29 and $40,120, respectively.
| Percentile | Annual Salary (California) | Annual Salary (National) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $26,820 | $25,820 |
| 25% | $31,410 | $29,460 |
| 50% | $37,640 | $34,800 |
| 75% | $47,650 | $40,270 |
| 90% | $59,130 | $48,720 |
Source: BLS
The above table indicates that the annual salary of medical assistants in California was more than the national average wage, at different percentiles.
Highest Paying Cities for Medical Assistants in CA
Take a look at the below table that includes top-paying cities in California for medical assistants.
| City | Per Hour Salary |
|---|---|
| San Francisco | $20.08 |
| Oakland | $19.59 |
| San Jose | $18.90 |
| Torrance | $17.12 |
| San Diego | $16.29 |
| Los Angeles | $16.15 |
| Sacramento | $16.09 |
| Long Beach | $15.06 |
Source: Indeed.com (as of February 29, 2020)
According to indeed.com, the highest paying city for medical assistants in the state of California was San Francisco that paid $20.08 per hour. Among other highest paying cities were Oakland, San Jose, Torrance, San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Long Beach. These cities paid between $15.06 and $19.59 per hour.
Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for California Medical Assistants
| Metropolitan Area | Mean Annual Wage (in $) | 10th Percentile Wage (in $) | 50th Percentile (Median) Wage (in $) | 90th Percentile Wage (in $) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA | 52,310.43 | 33,713.21 | 54,323.00 | 67,071.37 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 47,651.57 | 28,846.90 | 53,276.46 | 64,134.04 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 45,370.66 | 29,270.06 | 44,596.59 | 63,648.96 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 45,277.77 | 29,786.10 | 44,421.13 | 63,607.68 |
| San Rafael, CA | 45,136.37 | 30,535.40 | 45,491.41 | 60,603.27 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | 44,957.82 | 33,295.21 | 43,120.70 | 61,233.87 |
| Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA | 43,617.14 | 27,816.88 | 41,548.83 | 62,565.27 |
| Napa, CA | 42,098.93 | 30,487.93 | 41,944.12 | 53,606.73 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | 41,469.36 | 28,176.04 | 38,940.74 | 60,129.54 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | 41,139.09 | 28,981.07 | 40,003.79 | 55,278.72 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA | 40,670.52 | 28,102.77 | 38,288.46 | 57,943.57 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 39,683.84 | 29,053.32 | 38,383.41 | 53,059.72 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 39,436.14 | 28,000.59 | 38,084.10 | 54,432.40 |
| Salinas, CA | 38,383.41 | 27,484.54 | 37,857.04 | 51,088.43 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 38,300.84 | 27,412.30 | 37,588.70 | 51,243.25 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale , CA | 37,313.13 | 24,699.97 | 35,187.03 | 53,532.42 |
| Yuba City, CA | 36,907.52 | 27,391.66 | 36,474.04 | 48,693.99 |
| Redding, CA | 36,277.95 | 25,926.09 | 34,234.41 | 53,193.90 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 35,792.87 | 26,844.65 | 34,894.95 | 48,518.53 |
| Modesto, CA | 35,761.90 | 27,298.77 | 35,421.31 | 45,958.95 |
| Chico, CA | 35,380.03 | 27,505.19 | 34,461.47 | 46,216.97 |
| Fresno, CA | 35,204.57 | 26,524.70 | 33,914.46 | 46,681.41 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 33,697.72 | 24,749.51 | 32,665.63 | 43,316.80 |
| Visalia-Porterville, CA | 33,687.40 | 24,997.21 | 32,459.22 | 44,565.63 |
| El Centro, CA | 32,933.98 | 25,244.91 | 30,921.40 | 44,173.43 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 32,882.37 | 24,656.62 | 30,343.43 | 47,176.81 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 32,717.24 | 25,833.20 | 31,189.75 | 41,851.23 |
| Madera, CA | 31,540.66 | 24,553.41 | 30,167.98 | 41,108.13 |
| Merced, CA | 30,818.19 | 23,180.73 | 30,250.54 | 39,972.83 |
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (as of July 31, 2019)
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco paid a mean annual wage of $52,310.43 to medical assistants and was the highest paying metropolitan area of California for these professionals. Other metropolitan regions paid between $30,818.19 and $47,651.57 per annum.
Top 10 Cities/Areas with Highest Employment
According to the BLS, California was the top state with the highest employment level for medical assistants in the United States. As of May 29, 2020, there were 95,690 medical assistants employed in the state.
The below table depicts the top 10 areas of California with the highest employment for this occupation.
| Area | Number of Employed Medical Assistants |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA | 25,410 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 8,590 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA | 7,880 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 7,350 |
| Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA | 6,760 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | 6,340 |
| San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA | 4,710 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 4,410 |
| Fresno, CA | 2,900 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 1,980 |
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (as of July 31, 2019)
As showcased in the above table, with 25,410 medical assistants employed as of July 31, 2019, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale was the top city with the highest employment for these professionals.
Top 10 Paying Employers for Medical Assistants in California
Hospitals, clinics, ambulatory and residential care facilities, and physicians’ offices are some of the major employers for medical assistants in the state of California.
| Employer | Per Hour Salary |
|---|---|
| Sutter Health | $26.48 |
| Baylor Scott & White Health | $26.23 |
| Jefferson Healthcare | $24.23 |
| Medely | $24.06 |
| MEDXM | $23.62 |
| County of San Mateo, CA | $23.40 |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center | $22.14 |
| Oregon Health & Science University | $21.50 |
| Kaiser Permanente | $21.25 |
| Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System | $20.54 |
Source: Indeed.com (as of February 29, 2020)
According to indeed.com, as of February 29, 2020, the top paying employer was Sutter Health that paid $26.48 per hour to medical assistants.
Benefits for California Medical Assistants other than Salaries
Apart from lucrative medical assistant pay in California, these professionals may earn other perks as well, such as:
- FlexibilitySome employers offer flexible work schedules. It improves your productivity when you render your services slightly different hours.
- Paid Time-OffEmployers provide paid vacation time so that you can better manage your work-life balance.
- Relocation AssistanceYour employer may provide you temporary lodging and transportation costs when you move to the other city or state for the job.
- BonusA performance-based bonus adds to your motivation.Besides these perks, medical assistants can get a pension, disability insurance, retirement plan, dental and healthcare insurance, and tuition reimbursement.
Salaries of Similar Professions in California
| Related Professions | Average Hourly Salary |
|---|---|
| Medical Office Assistant | $15.75 |
| Clinical Assistant | $19.59 |
| Medical Receptionist | $15.71 |
| Back Office Medical Assistant | $15.19 |
| Medical Scribe | $15.50 |
Source: Indeed.com (as of February 29, 2020)
Other related professionals, such as Medical Office Assistants, Clinical Assistants, Medical Receptionist, Back Office Medical Assistant, and Medical Scribe, made between $15.19 and $19.59 per hour, as of February 29, 2020, according to indeed.com.
| Related Professions | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Associate Medical Director | $296,009 |
| Medical Billing Specialist | $46,117 |
| Medical Librarian Assistant | $41,646 |
| Medical Secretary | $45,723 |
| Physician Assistant – Medical | $119,386 |
| Physician Assistant – Speciality | $129,599 |
