Medical Assistants Salary
The median pay for a medical assistants in Tuscaloosa, AL is $35,930/year ($17.27/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.72), which stretches that salary to about $40,960 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,169/month, about 47.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $36K actually covers in Tuscaloosa, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tuscaloosa’s Regional Price Parity (87.72). 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 Tuscaloosa
Pay for medical assistants in Tuscaloosa runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,169/month, which is 47.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% 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 assistants.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for medical assistants in metros near Tuscaloosa, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $37K | $40K |
| Huntsville | $37K | $40K |
| Mobile | $36K | $41K |
| Montgomery | $36K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tuscaloosa, AL
Entry-level medical assistants (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $17K 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
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a medical assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tuscaloosa?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 47.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,169/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for medical assistants in Tuscaloosa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical assistants typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,907/month. At HUD’s $1,169/month FMR, rent would take 61% 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 Tuscaloosa?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $36K here vs. $46K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Tuscaloosa compare to the national average for medical assistants?
Tuscaloosa pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do medical assistants make in Tuscaloosa, AL?
The median is $35,930 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,440, and experienced medical assistants can clear $44,920. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Tuscaloosa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,440/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,169/month, which eats 47.9% 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 Tuscaloosa?
Tuscaloosa has a Regional Price Parity of 87.72 (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 $40,960 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.