Medical Assistants Salary
The median pay for a medical assistants in Florida is $43,680/year ($21/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.58), that's roughly $44,309 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,658/month, about 52.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Florida. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $44K get you in Florida?
About medical assistants
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What this looks like in Florida
Medical assistants pay in Florida tracks closely to the national median, $44K locally vs. $46K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,658/month, which is 53.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.58) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florida
Entry-level medical assistants (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Medical Assistants salary by metro in Florida
22 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $46K | +4% | 2,270 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $45K | +3% | 18,670 |
| Punta Gorda | $45K | +3% | 580 |
| Naples-Marco Island | $44K | +2% | 1,390 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $44K | +2% | 9,310 |
| Port St. Lucie | $44K | +1% | 1,220 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $44K | +1% | 1,660 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $44K | +0% | 7,920 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $43K | -2% | 2,190 |
| Jacksonville | $43K | -2% | 6,860 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $42K | -4% | 2,010 |
| Wildwood-The Villages | $41K | -6% | 520 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | $40K | -8% | 480 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $40K | -9% | 590 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $39K | -10% | 620 |
| Gainesville | $39K | -10% | 840 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $39K | -11% | 2,230 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $39K | -11% | 1,250 |
| Homosassa Springs | $38K | -14% | 410 |
| Sebring | $38K | -14% | 300 |
| Ocala | $37K | -15% | 1,080 |
| Tallahassee | $37K | -16% | 1,390 |
Showing 1–10 of 22 metros
Compare to other states
Track medical assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florida numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a medical assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florida?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 53.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,658/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for medical assistants in Florida?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical assistants typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,153/month. At HUD’s $1,658/month FMR, rent would take 77% 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 Florida?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $44K locally vs. $46K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Florida compare to the national average for medical assistants?
Florida pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do medical assistants make in Florida?
The median is $43,680 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,880, and experienced medical assistants can clear $49,040. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Florida?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,095/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,658/month, which eats 53.6% 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 Florida?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity of 98.58 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median medical assistants salary is worth about $44,309 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.