Medical Assistants Salary
The median pay for a medical assistants in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY is $39,110/year ($18.8/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.69), which stretches that salary to about $44,600 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,405/month, about 52% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $39K get you in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Watertown-Fort Drum’s Regional Price Parity (87.69). 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 Watertown-Fort Drum
Pay for medical assistants in Watertown-Fort Drum runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,405/month, which is 52.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.69 (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 assistantss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for medical assistants in metros near Watertown-Fort Drum, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $48K | $43K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $45K | $47K |
| Rochester | $42K | $43K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $45K | $45K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
Entry-level medical assistants (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $14K 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 Watertown-Fort Drum numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a medical assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Watertown-Fort Drum?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 52.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,405/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 Watertown-Fort Drum?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical assistants typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,934/month. At HUD’s $1,405/month FMR, rent would take 73% 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 Watertown-Fort Drum?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $39K here vs. $46K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Watertown-Fort Drum compare to the national average for medical assistants?
Watertown-Fort Drum pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.69), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — below the national median.
How much do medical assistants make in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?
The median is $39,110 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,240, and experienced medical assistants can clear $46,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Watertown-Fort Drum?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,660/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,405/month, which eats 52.8% 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 Watertown-Fort Drum?
Watertown-Fort Drum has a Regional Price Parity of 87.69 (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 $44,600 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.