Medical Assistants Salary
The median pay for a medical assistants in Kankakee, IL is $38,440/year ($18.48/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.39), that's roughly $39,880 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,326/month, about 50.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Kankakee?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Kankakee’s Regional Price Parity (96.39). 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 Kankakee
Pay for medical assistants in Kankakee runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,326/month, which is 51.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.39) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Kankakee, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $47K | $46K |
| Springfield | $45K | $49K |
| Peoria | $45K | $49K |
| Rockford | $44K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kankakee, IL
Entry-level medical assistants (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $8K 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 Kankakee numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Frequently asked questions
Can a medical assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kankakee?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 51.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,326/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 Kankakee?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical assistants typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,204/month. At HUD’s $1,326/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Kankakee?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $38K here vs. $46K nationally.
How does Kankakee compare to the national average for medical assistants?
Kankakee pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.39), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do medical assistants make in Kankakee, IL?
The median is $38,440 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,730, and experienced medical assistants can clear $45,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Kankakee?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,585/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,326/month, which eats 51.3% 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 Kankakee?
Kankakee has a Regional Price Parity of 96.39 (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 $39,880 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.