facebook tracking Medical Assistant salary in California (2025): how much medical assistants make, by city

How much do medical assistants make in California?

What medical assistants earn in California and its metro areas, compared with the rest of the country (May 2025 BLS data).

May 2025#5 of 50 states
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See also Medical Assistant pay nationally All healthcare pay in California
Median pay in California
$49,660

a year, or $23.88 an hour. That is 9% more than the national median of $45,690.

The middle half of medical assistants in California earn $46,240 to $61,870.

Pay range in California
Bottom 10% earn under
$39,290
25th percentile
$46,240
Median
$49,660
75th percentile
$61,870
Top 10% earn over
$77,300
Rank among states
#5 of 50

California pays medical assistants more than 45 of the other 49 states. Highest: Washington ($59,290).

Jobs in California
117,060

6.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the state, 1.22× the U.S. concentration.

Medical Assistant pay in California cities

Metro and rural (nonmetropolitan) areas as BLS defines them.. Click a column to sort.

AreaPay a yearHourlyJobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $47,760 $22.96 39,770
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $59,790 $28.75 14,320
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $46,700 $22.45 11,280
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $49,420 $23.76 9,370
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $61,970 $29.79 7,410
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $61,940 $29.78 6,400
Fresno, CA $46,500 $22.36 3,310
Bakersfield-Delano, CA $46,560 $22.39 2,340
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $50,680 $24.36 2,020
Modesto, CA $49,990 $24.04 1,870
Stockton-Lodi, CA $47,840 $23.00 1,740
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $49,500 $23.80 1,660
Visalia, CA $47,140 $22.67 1,580
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $64,820 $31.16 1,550
Vallejo, CA $77,410 $37.22 1,360
Salinas, CA $48,890 $23.50 1,080
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $50,090 $24.08 960
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $49,520 $23.81 850
Chico, CA $47,150 $22.67 770
Merced, CA $39,800 $19.13 700
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area $49,210 $23.66 690
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area $48,880 $23.50 600
Redding, CA $46,210 $22.22 520
Hanford-Corcoran, CA $49,510 $23.80 480
Yuba City, CA $49,410 $23.75 430
El Centro, CA $45,290 $21.78 390
Napa, CA $62,050 $29.83 320
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area $49,190 $23.65 310
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States with similar medical assistant pay

Minnesota $50,480 median a year · +2% vs California Oregon $50,410 median a year · +2% vs California Massachusetts $49,460 median a year Wisconsin $48,680 median a year · −2% vs California Hawaii $48,410 median a year · −3% vs California Colorado $48,400 median a year · −3% vs California

Other healthcare salaries in California

Home Health and Personal Care Aides $34,320 median a year · 970,150 jobs Registered Nurses $140,270 median a year · 338,940 jobs Nursing Assistants $47,630 median a year · 110,060 jobs Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $79,750 median a year · 82,850 jobs Dental Assistants $50,110 median a year · 56,220 jobs Pharmacy Technicians $55,110 median a year · 39,860 jobs Pharmacists $164,610 median a year · 34,030 jobs Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians $76,010 median a year · 29,210 jobs Physical Therapists $124,190 median a year · 26,580 jobs Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other $60,390 median a year · 26,540 jobs Physicians, All Other $281,590 median a year · 25,530 jobs Nurse Practitioners $168,520 median a year · 25,120 jobs
All healthcare salaries in California

Questions about medical assistant pay in California

How much does a medical assistant make in California?

Medical Assistants in California earned a median of $49,660 a year ($23.88 an hour) in May 2025, 9% more than the national median of $45,690. The middle half earned $46,240 to $61,870.

Where in California do medical assistants earn the most?

Among areas in California, pay was highest in Vallejo, CA at $77,410.

How does California rank for medical assistant pay?

California ranks #5 of 50 states for medical assistants pay. Washington pays the most, at $59,290 a year. Pay figures don't account for differences in cost of living.

How many medical assistants work in California?

About 117,060 people worked as medical assistants in California in May 2025, or 6.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the state.

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all industries. Median pay is the middle wage; where BLS publishes no median, the average (mean) is shown, marked "(avg)". Values marked "+" are above the most BLS reports exactly. Pay doesn't reflect cost of living, overtime or shift differentials.