Medical Assistant Salary in California | Highest Paid State?

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If you’re here and are interested in pursuing a career as a medical assistant, you must be wondering how much medical assistants make in the state of California.

The field of medical assistance is considered to be the best starting point in the healthcare industry.

Medical assistants provide support in the form of clinical or administrative tasks required to assist physicians and other healthcare professionals.

What’s the Best Thing About a Career as A Medical Assistant?

You don’t need a degree!

Unlike other professions in healthcare, where you have to attend school for a minimum of four years to get a full-time degree.

For Medical Assistants, you only need to complete an online certification program.

Apart from that, you only need to get your high school diploma or GED before you enroll in a medical assistant program.

Read on if you want to know more about the typical salaries of Medical Assistants in California, how they compare to other professions, and the usual medical assistant salaries in major cities of California.

So how much does a medical assistant in California make annually?

The U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics reports that the average annual wage of a medical assistant in California is $44,780 or $21.53 per hour.

Also see: 12 Reasons to Become a Medical Assistant

Compared to the average annual mean salary for medical assistants across the country is around $38,190, the salary offered in California is among the highest in the country.

Medical Assistant Job Outlook and Salary in California

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a medical assistant’s average salary is $37,190, which is $17.88 per hour.

If you’re living in California, you can expect to earn 17% more than the national average, and you can make almost $22 per hour.

It has been seen that the demand for Medical Assistants has been increasing in California, and with more and more clinics opening up across the state, the demand is set to rise further.

The growth in Medical Assistant jobs is seen nationally, and the growth rate, which stands at 16%, is much more than other professions in the country.

Medical Assistant Salary in California (Compared to Other States)

California is one of the highest-paying states for medical assistants in the country. However, the top three states in the U.S with a higher average mean salary than California are-

Alaska- $22.79 hourly or $47,400 annually
Washington- $22.82 hourly or $47,460 annually
District of Columbia- $22.45 hourly or $46,690 annually

If you are considering moving to a higher-paying state, do remember to consider the moving expenses, cost of living, and the demand for medical assistants within that state.

Plus, the salary increase is insignificant in the above-mentioned three states, and ultimately, within the state of California, you can expect better growth opportunities as well.

Now, let us take a look at the top five states in the U.S. with a lower average wage than the state of California-

Louisiana- $14.17 hourly or $29,470 annually
Alabama- $14.38 hourly or $29,920 annually
Kentucky- $16.06 hourly or $33,410 annually
Mississippi- $14.31 hourly or $29,760 annually
Arkansas- $14.41 hourly or $29,970 annually

These figures give you an idea about the job outlook for Medical Assistants in California, and you can now decide whether to move forward with medical assistant training.

Read more on: Medical Assistant Job Outlook

Medical Assistant Salaries in Different Cities within California

Now let’s compare the average annual salary of medical assistants in the whole state of California with other major cities within the state, as reported by indeed.com-

Los Angeles- $21.29 hourly or $49,254 annually
San Diego- $21.18 hourly or $49,010 annually
San Jose- $23.20 hourly or $53,670 annually
Long Beach- $19.88 hourly or $45,988 annually
Oakland- $24.44 hourly or $56,552 annually
Sacramento- $21.32 hourly or $49,317 annually

Point of Note: No government data is available for salary figures in different cities of California. The above-mentioned figures have been pulled from Job Board Websites, such as indeed.com.

These figures can vary according to the type of healthcare facility.

Also see: Where can medical assistants work?

Certified Medical Assistants Vs Uncertified Medical Assistants in California

According to the Medical Board of California, California doesn’t require medical assistants to be certified or licensed (Are Medical Assistant Licenses Required?).

Employers, however, may seek certifications, and some facilities, like hospitals, require you to be certified before you can start working.

So How Do You Get Certified?

What you need is medical assistant training. You need to enroll in online training programs that can help you prepare for a career in Medical Assistance in addition to preparing you for major certification exams.

In California, employers may ask for Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) certification, which is issued by the NHA.

We recommend going for an accredited online training program because they are affordable, you complete your training faster, and you don’t have to attend classes on a set schedule. (Read More: How Long Does It Take to Become a Medical Assistant)

Also see: Medical Assistant Programs Cost

Other options are available for completing your medical assistant training through associate degrees and diplomas, generally offered by community colleges or universities.

It has also been seen that a certified medical assistant salary is 10% more than a non-certified medical assistant’s.

Earlier, when the patient inflow was less, facilities didn’t mind hiring people who needed medical assistant on-the-job training. But now, with the rise of the aging population, the patient inflow has increased drastically, and over 89% of employers want certified medical assistants.

They want to hire someone they can trust and someone who knows the roles & Medical Assistant Job Duties. (Read More: What is a Medical Assistant)

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Annual Salary of Medical Assistants in California (Compared to Other Professions)

The healthcare field generally has high-paying jobs, but all of these require you to attend a minimum of 4 years of intense schooling and training. A career in medical assistance is the best way to enter this field of healthcare with high salaries, as it serves as a good entry point.

Also read: Is Medical Assistant School Hard?

Even for medical assistants entering the workforce as beginners, a higher-than-average salary is possible.

Read on to learn how a medical assistant’s salary compares to other professions and how you can earn more as one.

Let us first take a look at the different salaries offered for professions other than medical assistants that require similar educational requirements:

Medical Assistants- $40,010
Personal Care Helpers or Home Health Professionals- $32,770
Cashiers- $29,410
Medical Technicians (Emergency)- $41,120
Bank Tellers- $39,560

Now, here is a comparison between a medical assistant’s salary as compared to other professions that require an advanced educational degree and training:

Medical Assistants- $40,010
Physician Assistant- $141,790
Medicine Physician- $223,220
Surgeon- $242,330
Registered nurses- $88,530

Also see: Is Medical Assistant Degree Required?

If you want to enter the field of healthcare without having to sit for numerous competitive exams and undertake years of education and training,

medical assistance is the best career for you to step foot into healthcare.

Also read: Is Medical Assistant a Good Career?

This field also offers the choice of further evolving your career and becoming a physician, registered nurse, or any other healthcare professional. (Read More: CMA Vs CNA)

Also see: Registered Medical Assistant

Read: Accelerated Medical Assistant Program

How to Get Paid Better in California?

Like any other industry, the salary within the same professions can vary. Even in the case of medical assistants, you can see some medical assistants are paid more than others.

Why is that?

Experience plays a big role, and if you have experience working in different facilities and under different specialized physicians, you’re likely to earn a higher salary.

Also see: How to get Medical Assistant jobs with no experience

But what if you’re starting? Can you demand a higher salary if you’re a beginner?

Well, here’s the thing, if you’re just starting, your salary would be lower than the average medical assistant salary. But you can do a few things to increase your chances of getting a better salary.

Also see: How to become a medical assistant?

Here are a few tips and medical assistant skills you can develop to earn a better salary as a Medical Assistant –

1. Obtaining your Medical Assistance Certification

As we said earlier, a certification is a requirement. After you complete your medical assistant program, you can apply for your CCMA Exam from the NHA website.

Also see: Medical Assistant Certificate Requirement

Once you clear the exam, you can mention Certified Medical Assistant on your resume, and you can walk into your interviews with the confidence that you’re certified.

Also see: Medical Assistant Interview Questions

2. Phlebotomy Course

Medical assistants are often required to draw blood for sample analysis. Even though this task is usually completed by phlebotomists, medical assistants can be required to fill in whenever necessary.

So if you’ve completed phlebotomy training and if you know how to draw blood, employers will take note of that.

See more: Can Medical Assistants Draw Blood?

3. Medical coding/Medical Billing course

As a medical assistant, you will be required to fill in wherever possible. This is also true for helping with billings, payments, and medical coding.

A course in medical coding or billing will help you efficiently fill in for any medical coders or billers whenever necessary.

Also see: Medical Assistant vs. Medical Billing and Coding

4. Staying up to date on recent technologies

Technology is changing rapidly, and more and more healthcare facilities are relying on technology. If you stay updated, you can be given more responsibilities, and that will come with a salary increase.

5. EKG Course

ECGs are diagnostic tests used by physicians to detect any abnormalities in a patient’s heart rhythm. As a medical assistant, you will be required to check the readings and clean and maintain the apparatus wherever necessary.

In your medical assistant training, you’re taught about the basics of an ECG machine and how to analyze the reading, but as you grow in your career, you can choose to enroll in a dedicated course for EKG Technicians.

Suppose you know about different aspects like phlebotomy, medical coding, or EKG Tech. In that case, you can also be given management responsibilities, where you’ll be expected to manage different personnel in a facility.

6. Learn a Second Language

California is a culturally diverse state. To erase any type of miscommunication and provide optimum care to patients, learning a second language will help you communicate better with people from different backgrounds as a medical assistant.

Also see: Medical Assistant Externship

Medical Assistant Salary in California | Highest Paid State?

Medical Assistant Job Outlook and Salary in California

Medical Assistant Salary in California (Compared to Other States)

Medical Assistant Salaries in Different Cities within California