Medical Assistants Salary
The median pay for a medical assistants in California is $49,660/year ($23.88/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $46,787 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 72.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $50K get you in California?
About medical assistants
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What this looks like in California
Medical assistants pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $50K locally vs. $46K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 72.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level medical assistants (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $38K spread from bottom to top.
Medical Assistants salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo | $77K | +56% | 1,360 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $65K | +31% | 1,550 |
| Napa | $62K | +25% | 320 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $62K | +25% | 7,410 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $62K | +25% | 6,400 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $60K | +20% | 14,320 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $51K | +2% | 2,020 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $50K | +1% | 960 |
| Modesto | $50K | +1% | 1,870 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $50K | -0% | 850 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $50K | -0% | 480 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $50K | -0% | 1,660 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $49K | -0% | 9,370 |
| Yuba City | $49K | -1% | 430 |
| Salinas | $49K | -2% | 1,080 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $48K | -4% | 1,740 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $48K | -4% | 39,770 |
| Chico | $47K | -5% | 770 |
| Visalia | $47K | -5% | 1,580 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $47K | -6% | 11,280 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $47K | -6% | 2,340 |
| Fresno | $47K | -6% | 3,310 |
| Redding | $46K | -7% | 520 |
| El Centro | $45K | -9% | 390 |
| Merced | $40K | -20% | 700 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
Compare to other states
Track medical assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a medical assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 72.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for medical assistants in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical assistants typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,357/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 105% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is medical assistant a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $50K locally vs. $46K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for medical assistants?
California pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do medical assistants make in California?
The median is $49,660 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,290, and experienced medical assistants can clear $77,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,389/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 72.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a medical assistants salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median medical assistants salary is worth about $46,787 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do medical assistants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.