How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Louisiana?
A medical assistant in Louisiana makes between $13 and $17 per hour. It is 12% lower than the national average. According to salary.com and indeed.com, the highest MA salary observed in Louisiana is $34,756 and $31,764, respectively.
| Resource | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS | $14.45 | $30,070 | March 31, 2020 |
| Indeed | $13.64 | $31,746 | December 31, 2020 |
| Salary.com | $17 | $34,819 | December 28, 2020 |
| ZipRecruiter | $12 | $24,839 | December 14, 2020 |
From the above table, it can be concluded that the annual salary for medical assistants in Louisiana varies between $24,000 and $32,000. The highest salaries are received by experienced and certified medical assistant candidates as the value of formal training and national certification exceeds that of non-certified candidates. As per salary.com, the hourly salary of a medical assistant in Louisiana is $17, whereas ZipRecruiter says it is $12. Data from BLS and Indeed position the hourly wage of a medical assistant in LA between $13-$15.
Highest Paying Cities for Medical Assistants in LA
Salaries of medical assistants in LA differ from city to city because of several reasons that are external as well as internal. Without discussing the reasons in details, here are the top 8 cities that pay the highest hourly salary to its medical assistants:
| City | Per Hour Salary (salary.com) | Per Hour Salary (indeed.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Metairie, LA | $17 | $15.42 |
| Gretna, LA | $17 | $14.48 |
| New Orleans, LA | $17 | $14.40 |
| Shreveport, LA | $16 | $13.17 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $16 | $12.98 |
| Alexandria, LA | $15 | $12.89 |
| Gonzales, LA | $16 | $12.72 |
| Lafayette, LA | $16 | $12.20 |
Source: indeed.com (as of December 31, 2020) and salary.com (as of December 28, 2020)
According to salary.com, $17 is the highest hourly salary paid to MAs by Metairie, Gretna, and New Orleans cities. The lowest hourly wage is $15 in Alexandria. According to indeed.com, the highest hourly salary in LA is at Metairie ($15.42), followed by New Gretna ($14.38), while the lowest hourly wage in LA is paid to Lafayette MAs ($12.20).
Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for Louisiana Medical Assistants
The metropolitan areas in Louisiana have different MA salaries for their medical assistants, like its cities. Here are the top 9 metropolitan areas that have the highest medical assistant salary at different percentiles:
| Metropolitan Area | Mean Annual Wage | 10th Percentile Wage | 50th Percentile (Median) Wage | 90th Percentile Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $31,220 | $24,380 | $30,820 | $38,990 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $32,310 | $24,200 | $31,150 | $41,900 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $28,120 | $19,040 | $27,370 | $38,610 |
| Lafayette, LA | $30,330 | $21,590 | $29,570 | $40,070 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA | $30,320 | $23,190 | $29,470 | $39,000 |
| Hammond, LA | $30,720 | $22,430 | $30,100 | $40,610 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $26,840 | $20,560 | $26,880 | $33,530 |
| Monroe, LA | $30,390 | $19,150 | $30,040 | $41,270 |
| Alexandria, LA | $29,640 | $22,300 | $29,020 | $38,340 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
According to BLS data updated on March 31, 2020, Baton Rouge, LA has a $41,900 salary in the 90th percentile wage, whereas the figure is $32,310 for the mean annual wage. The lowest 90th percentile wage is $33,530 paid by Lake Charles, LA, whereas its mean annual wage is $26,840.
Top 5 Cities/Areas with Highest Employment
According to the BLS data, the total number of employed medical assistants in Louisiana is 8,570, whereas the location quotient is 0.92. The employment rate per 1,000 is 4.46. Here are the top 5 metropolitan areas with the highest number of employed MAs:
| Metropolitan Area | Number of Employed Medical Assistants |
|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 2,790 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 1,390 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 1,260 |
| Lafayette, LA | 820 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA | 470 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
Out of the total number of medical assistants in Louisiana, New Orleans-Metairie employs 2,790 medical assistants, followed by Baton Rouge, which employs 1,390 medical assistants, and Shreveport-Bossier City, employing 1,260 MAs.
Top 10 Paying Employers for Medical Assistants in Louisiana
Medical assistants seek employment in several medical and ambulatory settings. The top 10 highest paying employers in Louisiana include:
| Employer | Per Hour Salary |
|---|---|
| UCLA Health | $23.15 |
| Sutter Health | $21.89 |
| Kaiser Permanente | $21.63 |
| NYU Langone Health | $20.65 |
| Virginia Mason | $19.93 |
| Scripps Health | $19.76 |
| MultiCare Health System | $18.50 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | $18.15 |
| Quest Diagnostics | $17.79 |
| Neighborhood Healthcare | $17.64 |
Source: indeed (as of December 31, 2020)
UCLA Health is the highest paying employer in Louisiana. They pay their medical assistants $23.15, followed by $21.89 paid by Sutter Health and $21.63 by Kaiser Permanente.
Benefits for Louisiana Medical Assistants other than Salaries
According to salary.com, a medical assistant in Louisiana has a base salary of $34,819, which is 66.9% of the total compensation, and a bonus of $36, making up for 0.1% of the core compensation. The total compensation individuals receive translates to $52,046 in monetary terms. A breakdown of other perks MAs are entitled to in Louisiana state include:
-
Healthcare
A total of $6,371 is paid to medical assistants besides the core compensation, which makes up for 12.2% of the benefit value.
-
Time Off
A total of 8.5% of compensation is provided in the form of paid leave; $4,424 is allotted to this benefit.
-
Social Security
For ensuring you receive the benefits of social security, a total of 5.1% is kept towards these expenses, which is $2,666 in monetary terms.
-
401K/403B
$1,708 is reserved for retirement plans and savings that would make 3.3% of your compensation.
-
Pension
Another $1,464 is reserved for the pension so that you can lead a life after retirement, and 2.8% is kept for this complimentary benefit.
-
Disability
1.1% is decided for disability insurance, which translates to $558 monetarily.
-
Flexible Work Hours
Flexible work hours are also an added advantage to MAs in Louisiana; they are not required to work beyond their office hours.
Source: salary.com (as of December 28, 2020)
Salaries of Similar Professions in Louisiana
| Related Professions | Average Hourly Salary |
|---|---|
| Back Office Medical Assistant | $16.50 |
| Clinical Assistant | $13.60 |
| Certified Medical Assistant | $12.96 |
| Medical Office Assistant | $12.29 |
| Medical Receptionist | $12.23 |
| Medical Scribe | $10.62 |
Source: indeed (as of December 31, 2020)
The allied healthcare professions that pay in the same range as medical assistants and sometimes higher include Back Office Medical Assistant ($16.50), Clinical Assistant ($13.60), and Certified Medical Assistant ($12.96).
| Related Professions | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Physician Assistant- Specialty | $113,180 |
| Physician Assistant- Medical | $104,218 |
| Medical Billing Specialist | $40,265 |
| Medical Secretary | $39,911 |
| Medical Librarian Assistant | $36,376 |
| Medical Scribe | $33,456 |
Source: salary.com (as of December 28, 2020)
Out of other similar professions like that of a medical assistant in Louisiana, the profession of a Physician Assistant- Specialty pays the highest annual average salary of $113,180, followed by a Physician Assistant. Other professions such as Medical Billing Specialist, Medical Secretary, and Medical Librarian Assistant also make more than an MA’s annual pay, as per salary.com. The only occupation that has a lesser salary than medical assistants is Medical Scribe.
Projected Employment and Hiring Trends for LA Medical Assistants (2018-2028)
Job Outlook
The demand for medical assistants in the state would be soaring high, as the profession is anticipated to grow at 19% throughout the country according to BLS reports, which is overwhelmingly faster than other average occupations growing at 14% from 2018 to 2028. Hence, medical assistant professions are in demand throughout the country, and it is essential to have a competitive edge over your colleagues. The two foolproof ways to do it is to procure formal training from an ABHES or CAAHEP sponsored institution and secure a national level certification from recognized bodies like AMT (RMA certification) or AAMA (CMA certification).
| Estimated Employment and Projected Growth (Medical Assistants) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projected Area | Base Year Employment
(2018) |
Projected Employment
(2028) |
Numeric Change | Percentage Change | Annual Job Openings |
|
Louisiana |
8,680 | 10,040 | 1,360 | +15.7% | 140 |
Source: Projections Central
With the annual job openings at 140, Louisiana is expected to grow at 15.7% from 2018 to 2028, according to data provided by Projections Central. The number of total employed MAs in 2018 included 8,680, which increased to 10,040 in 2028.
Hiring Trends
- According to the Louisiana Economic Outlook: 2020 and 2021, the health sector is among the two top sectors contributing positively to the state’s economy. The healthcare and social services sector represents 20.6% of employment in the state. The North Oaks Medical Center is the largest employer with 2,600 employees.
- As per careeronestop.org’s information, there are a total of 558 growing occupations in Louisiana, and medical assistant happens to be one of the top 100 fastest-growing jobs, featuring #51 on the list. There would be 6,690 total MAs in 2026.
- It also features within the top 100 jobs in Louisiana, with the most annual job openings, according to careeronestop.org. The anticipated percentage of annual job openings is 18%.
- Among the most popular 50 jobs in Louisiana, medical assistance features #48, as per the 2019 USA WAGE survey.
- Among the fastest-growing jobs in Louisiana, medical assisting features #31, as per Zippia’s independent research survey held in 2019. A total of 8,080 jobs would be available for MAs in 2024.
- Similarly, another Zippia report claims the top 5 best healthcare companies in Louisiana include LSU Health Sciences Center, Ochsner Health System, Amedisys, St. Francis Medical Center, and LHC Group.
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.
