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Medical assistants

Medical assistant salary in California

Open medical assistant jobs in California post a median of $28.75 an hour, the middle half $25–$32.50 (about $59,800 a year full time), $4.75 above the national posted median. From 327 jobs at 59 employers that state their pay.

$28.75
Median posted /hr
$25–$33
Middle half /hr
$59,800
A year, full time
estimate, 2,080 hours
$23.88
BLS median in CA
May 2025

The jobs themselves: Medical assistant jobs in California · Medical assistant pay nationwide

What medical assistants are paid in California

Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).

Posted hourly rates of 327 open jobs in California. Lowest posted $14.17, highest $57.02.

Posted on open jobs in California

$25–$32.50/hr

Middle half of 139 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $28.75. 84% of the 389 open medical assistant jobs in California state an hourly rate.

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Medical assistant pay by town in California

Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.

TownMedian postedPosted rangeJobs (employers)
San Francisco$37.25$23–$57.0236 (5)
Los Angeles$27$17.75–$49.6728 (8)
San Diego$29.25$23–$35.9318 (4)
Beverly Hills$30.25$25–$39.0117 (1)
Sacramento$33.50$17.24–$47.1215 (4)
Oakland$38$24–$47.1210 (4)
Roseville$35.25$27.40–$47.1210 (1)
Mountain View$42$23–$57.029 (3)
Novato$27.75$25–$47.129 (3)
Santa Barbara$34.25$27.40–$47.128 (1)
Torrance$29.50$16–$49.678 (4)
Santa Clara$34.75$23.70–$47.127 (4)
San Jose$32.50$18–$47.127 (5)
Santa Monica$31$17.75–$49.677 (2)
Pasadena$29.25$16–$39.367 (4)
Sunnyvale$27.25$23.79–$47.127 (3)
Castro Valley$35.75$27.83–$47.126 (3)
Yuba City$35.25$27.40–$47.126 (1)
San Carlos$33.75$23.40–$47.126 (2)
Mission Viejo$30$20.71–$40.496 (2)
Irvine$28.25$18–$34.816 (5)
Vista$24$23–$256 (1)
Santa Rosa$34.50$25–$44.885 (2)
Fullerton$29.75$16.27–$41.635 (2)
Burlingame$42.75$33.66–$57.024 (1)
Santa Cruz$40.50$33.66–$47.124 (1)
Elk Grove$35.25$27.40–$47.124 (1)
Folsom$34.50$27.88–$40.994 (2)
Watsonville$34.25$24.86–$47.124 (2)
Walnut Creek$30$21–$44.384 (2)

Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.

Medical assistant pay by employer in California

What each employer posts for medical assistants here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.

EmployerMedian postedPosted rangeJobs stating pay
Sutter Health$40.50$26.62–$57.0282
Cedars-Sinai$29.25$24–$39.0147
Providence$31$16.27–$49.6719
Concentra$24.25$23–$30.9219
MarinHealth$29.50$26.81–$31.2114
Scripps Health$29.25$25.95–$32.5611
Vista Community Clinic$24$23–$2510
Sharp HealthCare$30.50$25.30–$35.938
CommonSpirit Health$29.75$17.24–$42.677
UCSF Health$41$29.63–$45.666
Stanford Health Care$35.75$32.42–$39.496
Emanate Health$30.25$23–$38.295
AltaMed Health Services$28.25$26–$32.025
Bass Medical Group$28$21–$395
John Muir Health$38.75$32.87–$44.384
Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center$24.25$23.19–$30.414
Marshall Medical Center$22.50$21–$24.154
Asian Health Services$37.75$33.47–$45.093
Kaiser Permanente$33.75$27.47–$40.143
Shriners Children's$33.50$24.95–$39.363
Community Memorial Hospital - Ventura$28.75$24.90–$33.913
Loma Linda University Health$26$25–$27.173
Marathon Health$25.50$18–$303
Marin Community Clinics$25$25–$263
Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties$25$253
Balance Health$24.50$23–$283
Alameda Health System$38.25$35.13–$41.572
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital$32$25.68–$38.522
Kaweah Health$29.75$23.84–$35.762
Stanford Medicine Children's Health$29$25–$33.082
MemorialCare$28.50$23–$34.812
Salud Para la Gente$28$24.86–$30.982
Elica Health Centers$27.25$25–$29.502
Comprehensive Community Health Centers$25.25$22–$282
UnitedHealth Group$24$16–$322
Tia$22.75$20–$262
Emergency Physicians Urgent Care$22.50$21–$232
El Camino Health$43.50$38.49–$48.661
Montage Health$41.25$35.36–$47.321
Crossover Health$32.50$28.24–$371

Median of each employer's jobs in California (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for medical assistants nationwide when it has such a page.

Best-paid open medical assistant jobs in California

The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.

What BLS measures in California

What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.

Hourly wages, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California. Each figure opens its BLS page.
BLS occupation10th pct25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctEmployed
Medical Assistants (31-9092)$18.89 (source: BLS OEWS, Medical Assistants, opens in a new tab)$22.23 (source: BLS OEWS, Medical Assistants, opens in a new tab)$23.88 (source: BLS OEWS, Medical Assistants, opens in a new tab)$29.75 (source: BLS OEWS, Medical Assistants, opens in a new tab)$37.16 (source: BLS OEWS, Medical Assistants, opens in a new tab)117,060 (source: BLS OEWS, Medical Assistants, opens in a new tab)

BLS median by metro area

Medical assistant salary in California: common questions

How much does a medical assistant make in California?

Open medical assistant jobs in California that state an hourly rate post a median of $28.75, the middle half $25–$32.50 (327 jobs from 59 employers). Full time that is about $59,800 a year. BLS measured a median of $23.88/hr ($49,660 a year) for people employed in the occupation in California (May 2025).

Where in California do medical assistants earn the most?

By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: San Francisco ($37.25), Los Angeles ($27), San Diego ($29.25) and Beverly Hills ($30.25). The town table lists 30.

Which employers in California pay medical assistants the most?

Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: UCSF Health ($41), Sutter Health ($40.50) and John Muir Health ($38.75).

How does California compare with the rest of the country?

The posted median in California ($28.75) is $4.75 above the national posted median of $24. In the BLS survey California ranks 6 of 52 by median wage.

Where do these figures come from?

From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 327 of 389 open medical assistant jobs in California (84%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.

Medical assistant pay in other states

Medical assistant salary nationwide →Every healthcare salary →

Sources and method

Only pay a job states is used, a range at its midpoint. In the state's median and middle half each employer's advertised range counts once, so an employer posting one range in many towns does not set the figure; a town's median follows the same rule. "Up to" ceilings, weekly travel rates and rates far from the occupation's median are left out. A state has a page while at least 8 jobs from 3 employers state a rate there. The yearly estimate is the hourly rate times 2,080 hours. BLS figures are as published.
  1. CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
  2. BLS OEWS May 2025: Medical Assistants (SOC 31-9092), every state, published May 15, 2026
  3. BLS OEWS May 2025: Medical Assistants, national, published May 15, 2026
  4. BLS OEWS May 2025: Medical Assistants by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026

Cite this page

CareJobs.Now. (2026). Medical assistant salary in California. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/medical-assistant/california

How the board counts