Medical Assistants Salary in California
The median for medical assistants in California is $49,660 a year, somewhat above the national $45,690 (+9%); the state ranks 6th of 51 states by median. That is 15% less than the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). Among neighbouring states, Oregon pays more (up to $50,410 in Oregon) and Arizona and Nevada pay less (down to $45,200 in Nevada). California employs 117,060 medical assistants, 6.43 per 1,000 jobs, the 1st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.22 means the occupation is more concentrated in California than nationally.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $18.89 | $22.23 | $23.88 | $29.75 | $37.16 | $26.49 | 117,060 | 6.43 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $39,290 | $46,240 | $49,660 | $61,870 | $77,300 | $55,100 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.33 | $18.50 | $21.97 | $23.65 | $28.52 | $22.17 | 817,870 | – | – |
| Annual | $36,050 | $38,470 | $45,690 | $49,180 | $59,310 | $46,120 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 6th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 1st of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.22
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.43
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California publish a row for medical assistants, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $37.22 | $77,410 | $47,150 | $77,800 | 1,360 | 9.46 | 1.80 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $31.16 | $64,820 | $46,770 | $79,890 | 1,550 | 7.58 | 1.44 |
| Napa, CA | $29.83 | $62,050 | $45,890 | $79,730 | 320 | 4.10 | 0.78 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $29.79 | $61,970 | $45,330 | $78,090 | 7,410 | 6.86 | 1.30 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $29.78 | $61,940 | $49,370 | $79,620 | 6,400 | 5.64 | 1.07 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $28.75 | $59,790 | $47,070 | $79,750 | 14,320 | 6.03 | 1.15 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $24.36 | $50,680 | $43,210 | $67,570 | 2,020 | 6.25 | 1.19 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $24.08 | $50,090 | $40,690 | $75,140 | 960 | 9.75 | 1.85 |
| Modesto, CA | $24.04 | $49,990 | $38,830 | $78,080 | 1,870 | 9.58 | 1.82 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $23.81 | $49,520 | $38,940 | $72,730 | 850 | 6.93 | 1.32 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $23.80 | $49,510 | $38,950 | $59,140 | 480 | 9.76 | 1.86 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $23.80 | $49,500 | $39,820 | $63,270 | 1,660 | 8.25 | 1.57 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $23.76 | $49,420 | $43,340 | $66,340 | 9,370 | 6.09 | 1.16 |
| Yuba City, CA | $23.75 | $49,410 | $37,830 | $61,870 | 430 | 8.48 | 1.61 |
| Salinas, CA | $23.50 | $48,890 | $40,730 | $59,550 | 1,080 | 5.81 | 1.10 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $23.00 | $47,840 | $36,460 | $78,150 | 1,740 | 6.00 | 1.14 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $22.96 | $47,760 | $39,160 | $73,940 | 39,770 | 6.34 | 1.21 |
| Chico, CA | $22.67 | $47,150 | $39,050 | $58,450 | 770 | 9.81 | 1.87 |
| Visalia, CA | $22.67 | $47,140 | $36,720 | $56,260 | 1,580 | 9.26 | 1.76 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $22.45 | $46,700 | $38,540 | $62,360 | 11,280 | 6.57 | 1.25 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $22.39 | $46,560 | $36,440 | $60,370 | 2,340 | 6.92 | 1.31 |
| Fresno, CA | $22.36 | $46,500 | $37,300 | $70,660 | 3,310 | 6.95 | 1.32 |
| Redding, CA | $22.22 | $46,210 | $37,910 | $55,990 | 520 | 7.24 | 1.38 |
| El Centro, CA | $21.78 | $45,290 | $37,320 | $57,740 | 390 | 5.93 | 1.13 |
| Merced, CA | $19.13 | $39,800 | $35,600 | $50,510 | 700 | 8.82 | 1.68 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $23.66 | $49,210 | $43,080 | $62,910 | 690 | 6.26 | 1.19 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $23.65 | $49,190 | $39,460 | $61,130 | 310 | 4.94 | 0.94 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $23.50 | $48,880 | $39,450 | $62,140 | 600 | 5.79 | 1.10 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Medical Assistants (every state ranked) and the California wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS California estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.