How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in New Mexico?
A medical assistant in New Mexico makes $14.51 per hour, which, as per indeed.com claims, is 7% lower than the national average hourly salary of medical assistants in the country. Here is a comprehensive insight into how much a medical assistant in NM makes.
| Resource | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS | $15.18 | $31,570 | March 31, 2020 |
| Indeed | $14.50 | $33,765 | February 6, 2021 |
| Salary.com | $16 | $33,277 | January 29, 2021 |
| ZipRecruiter | $13 | $31,419 | January 24, 2021 |
Medical assistants earn between $13 and $16 per hour in New Mexico, as per different wage resources. Annually, the salary roughly ranges between $31,000-$34,000 per annum. Certified candidates with relevant work experience and specialization tend to earn higher than ones with no formal training or certification.
MA Pay at Different Percentiles in New Mexico
| Percentile | Annual Salary (New Mexico) | Annual Salary (National) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $23,000 | $25,820 |
| 25% | $27,090 | $29,460 |
| 50% | $30,640 | $34,800 |
| 75% | $36,030 | $40,270 |
| 90% | $41,230 | $48,720 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
As shown in the above table, the annual salary of medical assistants in New Mexico was lesser than the national annual pay, at the 10%, 25%, and 50% percentiles.
Highest Paying Cities for Medical Assistants in NM
Different cities have different hourly salaries for MAs in New Mexico. Here are the top-paying cities for medical assistants in NM that could interest an ambitious medical assistant aspirant:
| City | Per Hour Salary (indeed.com) | Per Hour Salary (salary.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Hobbs, NM | $18.12 | $16 |
| Gallup, NM | $17.43 | $16 |
| Santa Fe, NM | $16.53 | $17 |
| Roswell, NM | $16.37 | $15 |
| Silver City, NM | $15.04 | $15 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $14.97 | $16 |
| Los Alamos, NM | $13.99 | $16 |
| Farmington, NM | $13.99 | $16 |
| Rio Rancho, NM | $13.38 | $16 |
| Las Cruces, NM | $12.80 | $15 |
Source: salary.com (as of January 29, 2021) and indeed.com (as of February 6, 2021)
As per indeed.com and salary.com, the highest hourly salaries recorded by a city in New Mexico were by Hobbs with about $18 per hour and Santa Fe with $17, respectively. As per indeed, the second position was occupied by Gallup, followed by Santa Fe. According to salary.com, the other highest paying cities paid between $15 to $16 an hour.
Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for New Mexico Medical Assistants
Like cities, the metropolitan areas in New Mexico have different paying standards for their medical assistants. The top-paying metropolitan areas in NM include:
| Metropolitan Area | Mean Annual Wage | 10th Percentile Wage | 50th Percentile (Median) Wage | 90th Percentile Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | $31,840 | $24,210 | $31,050 | $41,110 |
| Las Cruces, NM | $28,350 | $20,630 | $27,120 | $38,010 |
| Santa Fe, NM | $37,540 | $29,250 | $37,140 | $48,080 |
| Farmington, NM | $30,680 | $23,340 | $29,860 | $39,820 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
Santa Fe is the highest paying metropolitan area, followed by Albuquerque. However, there is a big gap of approx $6,000 between the two. Other two areas paid around $28,000-$31,000 per year.
Top 3 Cities/Areas with Highest Employment
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates of March 2020 report that New Mexico is the second-highest state to have the highest concentration of MA jobs and location quotient in the country. It employs a total number of 6,750 medical assistants, with an 8.20 employment rate per 1,000 jobs.
| Metropolitan Area | Number of Employed Medical Assistants |
|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | 4,020 |
| Las Cruces, NM | 680 |
| Santa Fe, NM | 540 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
Albuquerque has more than 4,000 employed MAs in New Mexico, which is the highest in the state and more than 75% of the total number of employed MAs in the state.
Top 10 Paying Employers for Medical Assistants in New Mexico
Though the mean hourly salary for MAs in New Mexico is lesser than the national average, medical assistants draw higher hourly salaries from high paying employers in the state, who are:
| Employer | Per Hour Salary |
|---|---|
| Kaiser Permanente | $21.35 |
| NYU Langone Health | $20.64 |
| Virginia Mason | $19.96 |
| Scripps Health | $19.76 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | $18.15 |
| Family Health Centers of San Diego | $17.47 |
| Sutter Health | $17.47 |
| Maxim Healthcare Group | $17.43 |
| Action Urgent Care | $17.42 |
| Franciscan Health | $17.34 |
Source: indeed (as of February 6, 2021)
The top 3 highest-paying employers in New Mexico are Kaiser Permanente, NYU Langone Health, and Virginia Mason, which paid their MAs an approximate salary between $19-$22 per hour. Kaiser Permanente and NYU Langone Health are 2 of the highest paying employers consistently in almost every state in the country.
Benefits for New Mexico Medical Assistants other than Salaries
A medical assistant in NM earns a base salary of $33,277 that is 66.5% of the total compensative value, in addition to a $38 bonus that covers another 0.1%. There are several other benefits they receive annually, which are 33.4% of the total earnings and sum up to $16,712. If we add the base pay and additional benefits, the overall compensation comes to $50,027 per annum.
-
Healthcare
$6,371 is paid to medical assistants in New Mexico along with their base salary compensation, which makes up 12.7% of their total compensation.
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Time Off
A total of 8.5% of compensation value is reserved towards ensuring paid time-off of medical assistants in New Mexico, which is $4,228 annually.
-
Social Security
A total of $2,549 is allotted towards social security benefits for medical assistants in the state. 5.1% of their total compensation value is covered in addition to the base salary and bonus.
-
401K/403B
$1,632 is to ensure well-being after retirement and goes towards retirement plans and savings that make up for another 3.3% of the total compensation value.
-
Pension
Another $1,399 is reserved for ensuring better wellness and stability after retirement, making up 2.8%.
-
Disability
1.1% is preserved for disability insurance, which is $533 per year in New Mexico.
(Source: salary.com as of January 29, 2021)
Salaries of Similar Professions in New Mexico
Getting employment and wage estimates of a profession is never complete without having a comparative evaluation of employment and wage estimates of other related professions. Let’s see where do medical assistants stand in comparison to other occupations similar to them.
| Related Professions | Average Hourly Salary |
|---|---|
| Dermatology Assistant | $22.58 |
| Clinical Assistant | $16.33 |
| Certified Medical Assistant | $15.79 |
| Medical Office Assistant | $15.07 |
| Medical Receptionist | $14.33 |
| Medical Scribe | $14.03 |
Source: indeed (as of February 6, 2021)
Hence, a Dermatology Assistant earns the highest among this list, followed by a Clinical Assistant who earns around $16 an hour. The salary of Certified Medical Assistants proves the fact that they are paid better than non-certified MAs in New Mexico.
| Related Professions | Average Yearly Salary |
|---|---|
| Physician Assistant- Specialty | $108,181 |
| Physician Assistant- Medical | $99,608 |
| Medical Billing Specialist | $38,490 |
| Medical Secretary | $38,144 |
| Medical Librarian Assistant | $34,771 |
| Medical Scribe | $31,976 |
Source: salary.com (as of January 29, 2021)
The average annual salaries drawn by a Physician Assistant- Specialty and Physician Assistant- Medical is the highest in this list. So, if you are planning to upgrade your career from a medical assistant, this could be your next step. Medical Billing Specialist and Medical Secretary also earn higher in comparison to medical assistants in New Mexico.
Projected Employment and Hiring Trends for NM Medical Assistants (2018-2028)
Job Outlook
New Mexico has one of the highest concentrations of medical assistant jobs in the country. To be precise, they are the second-highest state after Alaska. Keeping in mind the demand for the jobs, it is recommended that MA aspirants secure national certification and formal training from a school that is accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES.
| Estimated Employment and Projected Growth (Medical Assistants) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projected Area | Base Year Employment
(2018) |
Projected Employment
(2028) |
Numeric Change | Percentage Change | Annual Job Openings |
|
New Mexico |
6,420 | 7,560 | 1,140 | 17.8% | 880 |
Source: Projections Central
According to Projections Central, the total number of MAs employed in New Mexico rise from 6,420 in 2018 to 7,560 in 2028, reflecting a 1,140 numeric change and a subsequent 17.8% change in the state. The number of annual job openings is 880, which is quite an incredible figure, taken individually or considered compared to the national average anticipated demand of the same occupation.
Hiring Trends
- CareerOneStop’s report of fastest-growing jobs features medical assisting at 23, making it one of the top 25 fastest-growing jobs out of 473 occupations in New Mexico. From 4,630 MAs in 2016, it is expected that the total number of MAs in the state would be 5,650 in 2026, indicating incredible speed and demand of the profession.
- Another careeronestop.org report claims that medical assisting is one of the top 50 careers in NM with the largest employment of MAs. A total of 4,630 medical assistants were employed in the state in 2016. Featuring 42nd on that list, out of 590 occupations in New Mexico, medical assisting can be said to have a bright future in the state in the upcoming years.
- It not only features in the top 50 careers with the highest employees but also features in the top 50 careers with most job openings in New Mexico in another careeronestop.org survey. Featuring 34th on that list, medical assisting stands out with 640 annual openings among 567 other listed jobs in the state.
- A 2019 Zippia survey makes medical assisting in New Mexico among the top 20 fastest-growing jobs. Featuring 16th on that list, it shows a growth rate of 117.1% and 5,650 estimated number of MAs to be employed by 2026.
- Among the 200 popular jobs found in New Mexico in 2019, medical assisting featured among the top 30. Ranking 29 on that list by USA Wage, 6,750 employed MAs were found in the state, reflecting an employment rate of 0.82% in New Mexico.
- The top 5 healthcare companies for medical assistants in New Mexico include Presbyterian, MountainView Regional Health Medical Center, Pebble Labs, Holy Cross Medical Center, and San Juan Regional Medical Center, according to a 2019 Zippia survey.
Written by : Casey Gardner
Casey Gardner is both a healthcare support professional and an accomplished content creator. She has been working as a certified health care professional with marketable skills as a physician assistant, and a qualified medical assistant for last two decades. She has dedicated her nursing career to produce over hundreds of content pieces since 2001, and her work has been published both online as well as offline.
