Typical entry: Postsecondary nondegree award
Medical assistant
Medical assistants take vitals, room patients, draw blood, update records, and handle scheduling in clinics and physician offices. It is one of the fastest-growing healthcare jobs and a common route into nursing or other clinical careers.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What a medical assistant makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$45,690
$21.97 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $38,470
- 75th percentile
- $49,180
- 90th percentile
- $59,310
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- 83%
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +12.9%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 109,700
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as typical: a certificate program of about 9 to 12 months at a community college or career school, often ending in the NHA CCMA exam. Some clinics and health systems train medical assistants on the job, and hospital systems in our listings regularly post entry-level roles that state a high school diploma.
The work, as O*NET defines it: Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician.
The next step
Medical assistant certificate program and the NHA CCMA exam
- Typical cost
- $1,000 to $5,000 for a certificate program; CCMA exam $160
- Time to complete
- 9 to 12 months
Where to start NHA CCMA exam prep
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for medical assistants by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $28.50 | $59,290 | $49,310 to $63,590 | 19,500 |
| Alaska | $25.27 | $52,560 | $48,930 to $61,510 | 2,140 |
| District of Columbia | $24.54 | $51,050 | $47,740 to $59,850 | 2,260 |
| Minnesota | $24.27 | $50,480 | $47,220 to $58,540 | 10,580 |
| Oregon | $24.24 | $50,410 | $47,170 to $59,160 | 11,840 |
| California | $23.88 | $49,660 | $46,240 to $61,870 | 117,060 |
| Massachusetts | $23.78 | $49,460 | $46,910 to $58,100 | 14,880 |
| Wisconsin | $23.41 | $48,680 | $46,370 to $55,000 | 13,810 |
| Hawaii | $23.28 | $48,410 | $45,290 to $55,940 | 3,890 |
| Colorado | $23.27 | $48,400 | $45,280 to $55,570 | 13,160 |
| New Hampshire | $23.09 | $48,020 | $45,090 to $51,580 | 3,000 |
| New York | $23.08 | $48,000 | $43,600 to $55,120 | 40,710 |
| Maine | $22.88 | $47,580 | $45,420 to $51,460 | 4,480 |
| Connecticut | $22.81 | $47,430 | $45,180 to $50,210 | 10,250 |
| Nebraska | $22.78 | $47,370 | $42,860 to $50,010 | 2,380 |
| Vermont | $22.71 | $47,250 | $45,550 to $50,130 | 1,140 |
| New Jersey | $22.70 | $47,210 | $42,150 to $49,920 | 20,330 |
| Rhode Island | $22.69 | $47,190 | $45,370 to $48,630 | 3,210 |
| Montana | $22.51 | $46,820 | $40,900 to $48,960 | 2,460 |
| Maryland | $22.31 | $46,410 | $39,390 to $49,110 | 16,390 |
| Illinois | $22.16 | $46,090 | $38,970 to $49,460 | 20,260 |
| North Dakota | $22.11 | $45,980 | $39,090 to $54,620 | 600 |
| Arizona | $22.09 | $45,940 | $40,370 to $48,450 | 21,460 |
| Iowa | $21.87 | $45,480 | $38,980 to $48,030 | 5,990 |
| Utah | $21.81 | $45,360 | $38,460 to $48,170 | 9,990 |
| Nevada | $21.73 | $45,200 | $38,270 to $47,330 | 7,760 |
| North Carolina | $21.70 | $45,140 | $38,490 to $47,500 | 23,650 |
| Indiana | $21.69 | $45,110 | $39,160 to $47,290 | 19,630 |
| Virginia | $21.51 | $44,740 | $38,840 to $46,570 | 16,650 |
| Idaho | $21.49 | $44,700 | $37,780 to $48,160 | 5,250 |
| Delaware | $21.39 | $44,490 | $38,750 to $46,890 | 2,880 |
| Pennsylvania | $21.12 | $43,920 | $38,950 to $46,490 | 23,050 |
| Florida | $21.00 | $43,680 | $37,830 to $46,800 | 66,110 |
| Ohio | $20.58 | $42,810 | $38,060 to $46,270 | 28,950 |
| South Dakota | $20.13 | $41,870 | $37,730 to $45,870 | 1,340 |
| Georgia | $20.00 | $41,600 | $36,910 to $46,870 | 28,780 |
| South Carolina | $19.79 | $41,160 | $37,290 to $46,950 | 12,110 |
| Wyoming | $19.67 | $40,920 | $36,770 to $46,900 | 1,040 |
| Missouri | $19.44 | $40,440 | $37,380 to $46,600 | 13,050 |
| Michigan | $19.17 | $39,870 | $37,420 to $46,020 | 27,810 |
| Tennessee | $19.02 | $39,570 | $37,160 to $45,580 | 19,180 |
| Texas | $19.00 | $39,520 | $36,520 to $46,180 | 75,340 |
| Kansas | $19.00 | $39,510 | $37,050 to $46,380 | 5,510 |
| Kentucky | $18.88 | $39,270 | $36,560 to $45,940 | 13,440 |
| New Mexico | $18.86 | $39,230 | $37,240 to $45,970 | 5,400 |
| Oklahoma | $18.63 | $38,750 | $36,600 to $45,630 | 10,510 |
| Arkansas | $18.15 | $37,760 | $35,700 to $42,900 | 5,150 |
| West Virginia | $17.87 | $37,180 | $35,540 to $41,140 | 4,540 |
| Louisiana | $17.46 | $36,320 | $32,020 to $38,550 | 12,310 |
| Alabama | $17.35 | $36,100 | $32,390 to $38,360 | 13,300 |
| Mississippi | $17.00 | $35,360 | $31,200 to $38,190 | 3,340 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be a medical assistant?
No. BLS lists "postsecondary nondegree award" as the typical education for entry, and 83% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). The usual credential is medical assistant certificate program and the NHA CCMA exam.
How much does a medical assistant make?
The median pay was $45,690 a year ($21.97 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $38,470 and $49,180, and the top 10 percent earned more than $59,310.
How long does it take to become a medical assistant?
9 to 12 months. The typical cost is $1,000 to $5,000 for a certificate program; CCMA exam $160.
Is medical assistant work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 12.9% from 2025 to 2035 with about 109,700 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 31-9092.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile