Medical Assistants Salary
The median pay for a medical assistants in Grand Island, NE is $40,370/year ($19.41/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $54K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.66), which stretches that salary to about $46,584 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,049/month, about 38.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Grand Island?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Grand Island’s Regional Price Parity (86.66). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About medical assistants
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What this looks like in Grand Island
Pay for medical assistants in Grand Island runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,049/month, which is 37.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for medical assistantss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for medical assistants in metros near Grand Island, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Omaha | $48K | $52K |
| Lincoln | $47K | $52K |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $47K | , |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $50K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Grand Island, NE
Entry-level medical assistants (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $54K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Medical Assistants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Medical Assistants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $59K | +30% | 19,500 |
| Alaska | $53K | +15% | 2,140 |
| District of Columbia | $51K | +12% | 2,260 |
| Minnesota | $50K | +10% | 10,580 |
| Oregon | $50K | +10% | 11,840 |
| California | $50K | +9% | 117,060 |
| Massachusetts | $49K | +8% | 14,880 |
| Wisconsin | $49K | +7% | 13,810 |
| Hawaii | $48K | +6% | 3,890 |
| Colorado | $48K | +6% | 13,160 |
| New Hampshire | $48K | +5% | 3,000 |
| New York | $48K | +5% | 40,710 |
| Maine | $48K | +4% | 4,480 |
| Connecticut | $47K | +4% | 10,250 |
| Nebraska | $47K | +4% | 2,380 |
| Vermont | $47K | +3% | 1,140 |
| New Jersey | $47K | +3% | 20,330 |
| Rhode Island | $47K | +3% | 3,210 |
| Montana | $47K | +2% | 2,460 |
| Maryland | $46K | +2% | 16,390 |
| Illinois | $46K | +1% | 20,260 |
| North Dakota | $46K | +1% | 600 |
| Arizona | $46K | +1% | 21,460 |
| Iowa | $45K | -0% | 5,990 |
| Utah | $45K | -1% | 9,990 |
| Nevada | $45K | -1% | 7,760 |
| North Carolina | $45K | -1% | 23,650 |
| Indiana | $45K | -1% | 19,630 |
| Virginia | $45K | -2% | 16,650 |
| Idaho | $45K | -2% | 5,250 |
| Delaware | $44K | -3% | 2,880 |
| Pennsylvania | $44K | -4% | 23,050 |
| Florida | $44K | -4% | 66,110 |
| Ohio | $43K | -6% | 28,950 |
| South Dakota | $42K | -8% | 1,340 |
| Georgia | $42K | -9% | 28,780 |
| South Carolina | $41K | -10% | 12,110 |
| Wyoming | $41K | -10% | 1,040 |
| Missouri | $40K | -11% | 13,050 |
| Michigan | $40K | -13% | 27,810 |
| Tennessee | $40K | -13% | 19,180 |
| Texas | $40K | -14% | 75,340 |
| Kansas | $40K | -14% | 5,510 |
| Kentucky | $39K | -14% | 13,440 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -14% | 5,400 |
| Oklahoma | $39K | -15% | 10,510 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -17% | 5,150 |
| West Virginia | $37K | -19% | 4,540 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -21% | 12,310 |
| Alabama | $36K | -21% | 13,300 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -23% | 3,340 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track medical assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Grand Island numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Frequently asked questions
Can a medical assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Grand Island?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 37.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,049/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for medical assistants in Grand Island?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical assistants typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,300/month. At HUD’s $1,049/month FMR, rent would take 46% 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 Grand Island?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $40K here vs. $46K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Grand Island compare to the national average for medical assistants?
Grand Island pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do medical assistants make in Grand Island, NE?
The median is $40,370 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,330, and experienced medical assistants can clear $54,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Grand Island?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,768/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,049/month, which eats 37.9% 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 Grand Island?
Grand Island has a Regional Price Parity of 86.66 (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 $46,584 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.