Jetted FoxCareers · Clinics, dental, eyes & pharmacy
Medical assistants
Take vital signs, room patients, draw blood and do office tasks at a doctor's office or clinic. No college degree needed.
Start after 9–12 months of a certificate program
Starting pay ranges from about $15/hr in Mississippi to $23.71/hr in Washington.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $14.25–15.57/hr | $17.35/hr |
| Alaska | $22.14–23.52/hr | $25.27/hr |
| Arizona | $18.32–19.41/hr | $22.09/hr |
| Arkansas | $14.83–17.17/hr | $18.15/hr |
| California | $18.89–22.23/hr | $23.88/hr |
| Colorado | $18.81–21.77/hr | $23.27/hr |
| Connecticut | $18.50–21.72/hr | $22.81/hr |
| Delaware | $17.57–18.63/hr | $21.39/hr |
| Florida | $17.25–18.19/hr | $21/hr |
| Georgia | $16.47–17.74/hr | $20/hr |
| Hawaii | $18.55–21.77/hr | $23.28/hr |
| Idaho | $17.07–18.16/hr | $21.49/hr |
| Illinois | $17.50–18.74/hr | $22.16/hr |
| Indiana | $17.82–18.83/hr | $21.69/hr |
| Iowa | $17.66–18.74/hr | $21.87/hr |
| Kansas | $16.89–17.81/hr | $19/hr |
| Kentucky | $15.84–17.58/hr | $18.88/hr |
| Louisiana | $13.93–15.40/hr | $17.46/hr |
| Maine | $19.34–21.84/hr | $22.88/hr |
| Maryland | $17.76–18.94/hr | $22.31/hr |
| Massachusetts | $20.81–22.56/hr | $23.78/hr |
| Michigan | $16.83–17.99/hr | $19.17/hr |
| Minnesota | $19.29–22.70/hr | $24.27/hr |
| Mississippi | $14.04–15/hr | $17/hr |
| Missouri | $17.21–17.97/hr | $19.44/hr |
| Montana | $18.59–19.66/hr | $22.51/hr |
| Nebraska | $18.24–20.61/hr | $22.78/hr |
| Nevada | $17.98–18.40/hr | $21.73/hr |
| New Hampshire | $19.06–21.68/hr | $23.09/hr |
| New Jersey | $17.79–20.26/hr | $22.70/hr |
| New Mexico | $16.63–17.90/hr | $18.86/hr |
| New York | $17.92–20.96/hr | $23.08/hr |
| North Carolina | $17.31–18.51/hr | $21.70/hr |
| North Dakota | $18.10–18.79/hr | $22.11/hr |
| Ohio | $17.33–18.30/hr | $20.58/hr |
| Oklahoma | $15.33–17.60/hr | $18.63/hr |
| Oregon | $21.04–22.68/hr | $24.24/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $17.70–18.72/hr | $21.12/hr |
| Rhode Island | $18.89–21.81/hr | $22.69/hr |
| South Carolina | $16.70–17.93/hr | $19.79/hr |
| South Dakota | $17.30–18.14/hr | $20.13/hr |
| Tennessee | $16.75–17.86/hr | $19.02/hr |
| Texas | $15–17.56/hr | $19/hr |
| Utah | $17.25–18.49/hr | $21.81/hr |
| Vermont | $19.51–21.90/hr | $22.71/hr |
| Virginia | $17.83–18.67/hr | $21.51/hr |
| Washington | $22.38–23.71/hr | $28.50/hr |
| Washington, DC | $19.05–22.95/hr | $24.54/hr |
| West Virginia | $14.85–17.09/hr | $17.87/hr |
| Wisconsin | $18.98–22.29/hr | $23.41/hr |
| Wyoming | $15–17.68/hr | $19.67/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Also: Background check · Immunizations
State medical assistant certification or registration: required in some states. It lets you do clinical medical assistant tasks such as injections where the state requires it. Rules differ by state; check your state's licensing board.
Other way in: Trained on the job.
A normal day
You work in a doctor's office or clinic, calling patients from the waiting room. You take height, weight and blood pressure, record symptoms, give shots or draw blood, and set up the exam room for the doctor. Between patients you update records, call in refills and schedule visits.
The good parts
Short training and lots of openings everywhere. Mostly daytime, weekday hours. A fast way into health care and a step to nursing.
The hard parts
Fast pace with a full patient schedule. Needles, blood, and sick or upset patients. Pay is modest, and raises are slow without extra certifications.
Where it leads
medical assistant to lead MA or office manager, or a step into LPN or nursing school.
Quick answers
Do medical assistants need a college degree?
No. Start after 9–12 months of a certificate program.
How long is the training for medical assistants?
9–12 month certificate, or some places hire and train you at work.
How much do medical assistants make?
About $17.33–18.50 an hour to start and $21.97 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
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Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.