How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Arizona?
A medical assistant’s salary in Arizona is about $16.39/hour and $34,090/year, according to BLS, as of March 31, 2020. The table below shows various medical assistant salaries in Arizona according to various popular sources. It can be seen that medical assistants can earn anywhere between $14-$17 an hour or $29,062-$35,965 a year.
| Resource | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS | $16.39 | $34,090 | March 31, 2020 |
| Indeed | $15.54 | $35,948 | November 17, 2020 |
| Ziprecruiter | $14 | $29,062 | November 2020 |
| Salary.com | $17 | $35,806 | October 28, 2020 |
Average Medical Assistant Salaries in Arizona
The average hourly salary of MAs in Arizona, as of June 17, 2020, was $15.45, as per indeed.com. It is almost at par with the national average wage ($15.50 per hour).
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (as of May 2019) estimates the mean hourly and annual salary of medical assistants in AZ was $16.39 and $34,090, respectively.
| Percentile | Annual Salary (Arizona) | Annual Salary (National) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $26, 760 | $25,820 |
| 25% | $29,500 | $29,460 |
| 50% | $34,000 | $34,800 |
| 75% | $38,420 | $40,270 |
| 90% | $41,790 | $48,720 |
Source: BLS (as of May 2019)
The above table indicates that the annual salary of medical assistants in AZ was more than the national annual pay, at 10% and 25% percentiles. On the contrary, it was lower than the national average at 50%, 75%, and 90% percentiles.
Highest Paying Cities for Medical Assistants in AZ
The table below shows that Phoenix and Scottsdale are the top cities to work in Arizona for medical assistants as it pays $16.25/hour according to indeed.com, and $17 according to salary.com. An MA’s salary in Arizona’s various cities is shown in the table below.
| City | Per Hour Salary (indeed.com) | Per Hour Salary (salary.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | $16.25 | $17 |
| Scottsdale | $16.25 | $17 |
| Gilbert | $16.13 | $17 |
| Glendale | $16.09 | $17 |
| Mesa | $15.79 | $17 |
| Peoria | $15.69 | $17 |
| Chandler | $15.36 | $17 |
| Flagstaff | $14.93 | $16 |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 5, 2020) & salary.com (as of October 28, 2020)
Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for Arizona Medical Assistants
Flagstaff was on top in terms of a medical assistant’s salary in Arizona in 2020 with a mean annual wage of $35,570/year. It was followed by Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Tucson, Lake Havasu City-Kingman, and Prescott, paying between $34,580 and $32,270 a year.
| Metropolitan Area | Mean Annual Wage | 10th Percentile Wage | 50th Percentile (Median) Wage | 90th Percentile Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flagstaff, AZ | $35,570 | $28,790 | $35,760 | $42,070 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $34,580 | $27,100 | $34,530 | $42,500 |
| Tucson, AZ | $32,490 | $26,070 | $32,220 | $39,980 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | $32,060 | $25,070 | $31,580 | $40,430 |
| Prescott, AZ | $32,270 | $25,790 | $32,170 | $39,720 |
| Yuma, AZ | $32,260 | $25,960 | $31,570 | $40,140 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | $32,220 | $26,130 | $30,700 | $39,820 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
Top 10 Cities/Areas with Highest Employment
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale is the highest employer of medical assistants in Arizona by a massive margin with 12,770 employed, followed by Tucson with 2,480, and Lake Havasu City-Kingman with 450.
| Area | Number of Employed Medical Assistants |
|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | 12,770 |
| Tucson, AZ | 2,480 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 450 |
| Prescott, AZ | 440 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 370 |
| Yuma, AZ | 360 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | 240 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
Top 10 Paying Employers for Medical Assistants in Arizona
Sutter Health is by far the top employer to work for if you are a medical assistant in Arizona or most other states. Its hourly wage stood at $27.27, followed by Duke University with $24.55/hour, and Jefferson healthcare at $24.16.
| Employer | Per Hour Salary |
|---|---|
| Sutter Health | $27.27 |
| Duke University | $24.55 |
| Jefferson Healthcare | $24.16 |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center | $22.98 |
| UT Southwestern Medical Center | $22.11 |
| Oregon Health & Science University | $21.50 |
| Kaiser Permanente | $21.36 |
| Emory Health | $20.45 |
| US Department of Health & Human Services | $20.30 |
| HealthPartners | $20.02 |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 5, 2020)
Benefits for Arizona Medical Assistants other than Salaries
A medical assistant’s pay in Arizona isn’t the only form in which they receive their remuneration, as there are other benefits too. The salary and bonus come to an average of $35,485/year, and the other benefits come to about $17,498/year, making the total compensation $53,343/year (salary.com, as of October 28, 2020). Medical assistants enjoy these benefits through the following benefits and perks.
-
Healthcare
It is one of the most significant advantages of working in the healthcare industry. Employers will contribute to your health insurance of $6,371/year if you’re a medical assistant in Arizona. This amount contributes to 11.9% of the total compensation.
-
Time Off
It is a significant benefit that helps keep a professional working at the highest level. A medical assistant’s time off in Arizona has a monetary value of about $4,550, or 8.5% of the total remuneration.
-
Social Security
When you’re a medical assistant in Arizona, social security is one of the loads that will be taken off your shoulders by your employer. This contribution will be 5.1% of your total compensation, or about $2,742.
-
401K/403B
A retirement fund that your employer will be willing to contribute to both an NGO and a for-profit organization. Their contribution comes to about $1,756, or 3.3% of the total remuneration.
-
Pension
It is another retirement program that will help you stay on your feet after retirement. The contributions of a medical assistant’s employer in Arizona will come to about $1,506, or 2.8% of the total compensation.
-
Disability
Your employer will help you prepare for any uncertainties like disability by contributing about $574 every year to the disability fund. It makes up about 1.1% of a medical assistant’s compensation in Arizona.
Salaries of Similar Professions in Arizona
| Related Professions | Average Hourly Salary |
|---|---|
| Back-Office Medical Assistant | $15.42 |
| Medical Office Assistant | $15.00 |
| Clinical Assistant | $14.57 |
| Medical Receptionist | $14.53 |
| Medical Scribe | $14.44 |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 5, 2020)
Indeed.com reported that as of November 5, 2020, Back-Office Medical Assistant was the job similar to medical assistants with the highest salary of $15.42/hour. It was followed by Medical Office Assistants, Clinical Assistants, Medical Receptionists, and Medical Scribe.
| Related Professions | Average Yearly Salary |
|---|---|
| Physician Assistant- Specialty | $116,364 |
| Physician Assistant- Medical | $107,177 |
| Medical Billing Specialist | $41,402 |
| Medical Secretary | $41,040 |
| Medical Librarian Assistant | $37,414 |
Source: salary.com (as of October 28, 2020)
According to salary.com, the best job similar to medical assistants was Physician Assistant- Specialty that pays $116,364 a year. Other similar jobs are Physician Assistant- Medical, Medical Billing Specialist, Medical Secretary, and Medical Librarian Assistant.
Projected Employment and Hiring Trends for AZ Medical Assistants (2018-2028)
Job Outlook
Medical assistants in Arizona will see a rise in job openings at a soaring rate of 44.4%, with 1,140 jobs created every year between 2018-2028. The medical assistant scope of practice in Arizona depends on the many factors mentioned below.
- Experience in years
- Experience of responsibilities
- Certification obtained
- Potential for the job
Medical assistant schools in Arizona accredited by one of the following institutions will help you become eligible for a certification recommended to work as a medical assistant in Arizona.
- Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
- The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)
- Any other accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education
After completing one of the above programs, you will be eligible for medical assistant certification in Arizona. These certifications are recognized in most of the states in the US.
- Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credential from the American Medical Technologist’s (AMT)
- Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) credential from the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
After receiving one of these certifications, you can freely apply for medical assistant jobs in Arizona, as these will increase your chances to work for a reputed employer.
| Estimated Employment and Projected Growth (Medical Assistants) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projected Area | Base Year Employment
(2018) |
Projected Employment
(2028) |
Numeric Change | Percentage Change | Annual Job Openings |
| Arizona | 6,370 | 9,200 | 2,830 | +44.4% | 1,140 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor-Sponsored resource, Projections Central (2018-2028 report)
Hiring Trends
- Healthcare is one of the most stable industries to be employed in, especially in Arizona. The following graph will show you how healthcare and social assistance weren’t affected much during the great recession from 2008-2011 when other overall jobs were continually declining.(Source: Inbusinessphx)
- According to a BLS report, from 2018-2019, healthcare and education were the two fastest-growing jobs in Arizona that created 23,200 jobs in this period.
- Healthcare and social assistance employ about 366,813 professionals in Arizona, which is the highest in the state, according to AZ Commerce. It was also projected to grow at 5.6% between 2018-2020 (second highest in the state) with an average wage of $$53,092/year.
- The 4% increase that the healthcare and social assistance industry has seen in Arizona between 2018-19 is because of the aging population of Arizona, according to Chamber Business News as of March 26, 2019. As the latest US census states, 17.1% of Arizona’s population is above 65, and this number will peak in 2030.
- Medical assistance had 17,640 jobs in 2016 (16th highest in the state), a number that is expected to rise by 46% (13th quickest in the state) to 25,650 in 2026, according to salary.guide.
- With 17,640 jobs in 2016, medical assistance was projected to have 3,080 openings every year in Arizona, which is 9th highest in the state, according to salary.guide.
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.
