If you’re looking to become a medical assistant in Iowa, you might be wondering what the average salary is. Here’s what you need to know.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average annual salary for this position is $32,020.
Iowa has a great deal of flexibility in terms of pay structure, with many employers offering hourly wages and others offering salaries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average hourly wage for medical assistants in Iowa is $17.94 per hour, while the average salary is $33,810 per year.
If you’re looking to get into this field, it’s important that you understand how much money there is to be made as well as what kind of benefits are offered by employers before making any decisions regarding your career path or location.
Medical Assistant Salary In Iowa
How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Iowa?
When looking at a medical assistant’s salary in Iowa, BLS is the top government source, which has presented an average hourly wage of $17.25 and an average annual salary of $35,880, as of March 31, 2020. Salaries from other reliable sources are also mentioned in the table below.
| Resource | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS | $17.25 | $35,880 | March 31, 2020 |
| Indeed | $16.58 | $38,610 | January 19, 2021 |
| Salary.com | $17 | $34,783 | December 28, 2020 |
| Zip Recruiter | $13 | $35,156 | January 12, 2021 |
Medical Assistant Pay in IA at Different Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual Salary (Iowa) | Annual Salary (National) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $27,130 | $25,820 |
| 25% | $30,980 | $29,460 |
| 50% | $35,610 | $34,800 |
| 75% | $40,190 | $40,270 |
| 90% | $47,210 | $48,720 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
The table above depicts that the annual pay of MAs in IA was more than the national average figure at all percentiles.
Highest Paying Cities for Medical Assistants in IA
Medical assistant salary in Iowa’s various cities is given in the table below:
| City | Per Hour Salary (indeed.com) | Per Hour Salary (salary.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines, IA | $20.07 | $17 |
| Iowa City, IA | $18.37 | $16 |
| Waterloo, IA | $16.96 | $16 |
| Council Bluffs, IA | $16.90 | $17 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $16.16 | $17 |
| Coralville, IA | $15.54 | $16 |
| Davenport, IA | $15.50 | $17 |
| West Des Moines, IA | $14.33 | $17 |
| Dubuque, IA | $13.64 | $16 |
| Sioux City, IA | $13.57 | $15 |
Source: indeed.com (as of January 19, 2021) and salary.com (as of December 28, 2020)
Des Moines pays the highest to its medical assistants, according to indeed.com. Other cities on the list pay between $13 and $18 roughly. Salary.com reported that the cities in this list paid between $15-$17 an hour to their medical assistants.
Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for Iowa Medical Assistants
Medical assistant pay in Iowa’s various metropolitan areas is presented in the table below:
| Metropolitan Area | Mean Annual Wage | 10th Percentile Wage | 50th Percentile (Median) Wage | 90th Percentile Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa City, IA | $42,010 | $33,710 | $41,230 | $52,660 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $38,030 | $30,260 | $37,340 | $48,830 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $37,870 | $29,350 | $37,120 | $48,900 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA | $37,370 | $28,170 | $36,160 | $50,110 |
| Dubuque, IA | $37,010 | $29,180 | $36,540 | $47,290 |
| Ames, IA | $36,920 | $30,780 | $36,690 | $47,250 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $35,480 | $25,490 | $33,110 | $47,530 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $33,510 | $26,680 | $32,270 | $44,000 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $32,850 | $26,660 | $32,660 | $40,150 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
Iowa City pays the most to its medical assistants, with a mean annual wage of $41,010, while Cedar Rapids took second place, with $38,030 a year. Other areas paid between $37,870 and $32,850 annually.
Top 5 Cities/Areas with Highest Employment
These are the top 5 cities employing the most number of medical assistants in Iowa.
| Metropolitan Area | Number of Employed Medical Assistants |
|---|---|
| Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA | 1,370 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 1,250 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 700 |
| Iowa City, IA | 470 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 410 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
The table above suggests that Omaha-Council Bluffs is the metropolitan area with the highest number of medical assistants employed, about 1,370. Des Moines-West Des Moines took the second spot, with 1,250 professionals working as medical assistants. Other areas in this list employed a total of 1,580 MAs in total.
Top 10 Paying Employers for Medical Assistants in Iowa
An MA’s salary with Iowa’s top employers is outlined in the table below:
| Employer | Per Hour Salary |
|---|---|
| Kaiser Permanente | $24.65 |
| Primary Health Care, Inc. | $23.08 |
| NYU Langone Health | $20.66 |
| Virginia Mason | $19.99 |
| Scripps Health | $19.76 |
| Atrius Health | $19.54 |
| Sutter Health | $18.57 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | $18.15 |
| MultiCare Health System | $17.53 |
| Action Urgent Care | $17.42 |
Source: indeed.com (as of January 19, 2021)
Primary Health Care, Inc. and Kaiser Permanente are the top 2 employers paying about $23-$24 an hour to their medical assistants. Other employers in this top 10 list paid between $17 and $21 hourly, according to indeed.com.
Benefits for Iowa Medical Assistants other than Salaries
In Iowa, medical assistants earn $34,819 a year as their salary and bonus, which makes up 67% of their total remuneration. The remaining 33%, or $17,180, is earned through other benefits and perks they receive throughout the year, making their total compensation about $51,999. The break-up of these benefits is given below.
- HealthcareMedical assistants in Iowa receive healthcare benefits of about $6,371 a year from their employers. It makes up about 12.3% of their total yearly compensation.
- Time OffThe time offs that medical assistants get has a monetary value of about $4,419 a year in Iowa, which is about 8.5% of their total remuneration for the year.
- Social SecuritySocial security payments made by the employer for Iowa medical assistants make up about 5.1% of their total compensation and costs about $2,664/year to the employer.
- 401K/403BA retirement fund is created to help the employees in their old age. It receives yearly payments from the employers for about $1,706 a year, which is 3.3% of their total compensation.
- PensionThe pension fund is contributed to by the employers of MAs for about $1,462 annually, making up 2.8% of their total compensation. It is another fund that helps employees stay afloat after retirement.
- DisabilityA disability fund is created by the employer to use when an employee becomes disabled in an unfortunate accident. The contribution amounts to about $557 a year, or 1.1% of the yearly remuneration.(Source: salary.com as of December 28, 2020)
Salaries of Similar Professions in Iowa
| Related Professions | Average Hourly Salary |
|---|---|
| Dermatology Assistant | $24.01 |
| Medical Office Assistant | $16.26 |
| Certified Medical Assistant | $16.54 |
| Clinical Assistant | $14.62 |
| Medical Receptionist | $14.32 |
| Medical Scribe | $12.13 |
Source: indeed.com (as of January 19, 2021)
The above table shows jobs similar to medical assisting, where it is evident that Dermatology Assistants earn the highest, with an average hourly wage of $24.19. Other similar jobs paid between $12 and $16 as per the data provided by indeed.com.
| Related Professions | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Physician Assistant- Specialty | $113,062 |
| Physician Assistant- Medical | $104,109 |
| Medical Billing Specialist | $40,223 |
| Medical Secretary | $39,869 |
| Medical Librarian Assistant | $36,338 |
| Medical Scribe | $33,421 |
