Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| California | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $49,660 | $44,846 | +11% |
| Median hourly wage | $23.88 | $21.56 | +11% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $44,860.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Medical Assistant in California is $49,660, or about $23.88 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Medical Assistants is $44,846. California is +11% above the national median.
Entry-level medical assistants in California typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 117,060 medical assistant jobs on record and a median salary of $49,660, California offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, medical assistants rank 587 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 26% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Physical Therapist Assistants at $83,110, Occupational Therapy Assistants at $81,770, Medical Equipment Preparers at $61,370 — all figures are median annual wages for California.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, medical assistants rank 587 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 26% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in California | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapist Assistants | $83,110 | $9,400 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | $81,770 | $3,840 |
| Medical Equipment Preparers | $61,370 | $8,720 |
| Phlebotomists | $56,040 | $13,520 |
| Dental Assistants | $50,110 | $56,220 |
| Orderlies | $49,920 | $4,870 |
California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 793 occupations in California.